The Gossip Games
by cleamoon
Summary: Katniss is starting her junior year at The Capitol School on the Upper East Side. Soon she learns that not everyone at the school is really how they seem and that everyone has a secret. Follow the relationships of both Katniss and Peeta and Finnick and Annie as they try to survive the never ending rumours in a place built on reputations and lies. SEQUEL UPDATE ADDED!
1. Let the Games Begin

**A/N: **The first few chapters of this story will focus on the Katniss and Peeta relationship, with the Finnick and Annie storyline being introduced in later chapters. This is my first fanfic and I would appreciate any feedback on how to improve my writing. Hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of The Hunger Games. All rights go to Suzanne Collins.

* * *

_Katniss' POV_

The day I had been dreading for months had finally arrived, and I lay in bed willing myself to get up and ready. Dragging myself from underneath the bed covers, I leant over my sister who was fast asleep in her own bed.

"Prim," I whispered, "It's time to wake up."

My sister groaned as she began to wake. She looked up at me with her bright blue eyes. "What time is it?" she asked sleepily.

"It's 7am. You have school today, remember?"

Prim groaned again as she realised that the summer was over once and for all.

I got things ready for breakfast as quietly as I could, so I wouldn't wake up our mother. Since the death of our father nearly two years ago she had taken to sleeping through most of the day. Soon Prim entered our tiny kitchen dressed in a shirt and skirt, both hand me downs from our mother.

"Do I look okay?" she asked, spinning around.

"You look beautiful." I told her, crossing to her, "But tuck your tail in, little duck." I reached behind and tucked the back of her shirt into her skirt.

"Are you nervous about today, Katniss?" she asked.

I bit my lip and tried to hide from her just how nervous I really was. "Not at all." I said unconvincingly, "Now have some breakfast."

I went back into the bedroom, got dressed and tied my hair in my usual braid, trying to fight off the nerves that were steadily growing in the pit of my stomach. In less than three hours, I was to start my junior year at The Capitol School, one of the most prestigious prep schools in New York City. Coming from one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the city, there was no way I had ever imagined that I would one day be enrolled in a school in the heart of the Upper East Side. The thought of being amongst so many rich, privileged teenagers while I had next to nothing both frightened and repulsed me.

The year of my father's death, he had helped me apply for a scholarship at the school. Growing up with very little money, it was my father's dream for me to graduate from a good school with the best chance of being accepted into an Ivy League College. For months we sat together once he came from work and worked on my application. I finished the application only two days before he died, and for months it sat on the dining room table surrounded by folded laundry and piles of unopened mail. I just couldn't bear to submit it. However, my best friend, Gale, with help from Prim, submitted it without me knowing. To my surprise, I was graciously accepted.

So here I was, on the first day of the school year, preparing to start at The Capitol School. Saying goodbye to Prim, I took the five flights of stairs down to the ground floor of my apartment block. I found Gale sitting on the curb outside. For a moment, I sat beside him.

"Ready, Catnip?" he asked.

I nodded, feeling a little more confident.

"You deserve this." He said seriously, "Your dad would be so proud." He pulled me into a hug. "Just don't get too used to the Upper East Side, okay? You can't leave me here in this place." He joked.

I laughed, "Don't worry, once a Seam always a Seam." Seam was the name of the gang Gale and I had when we were children. Most of our lives it had always been the two of us, and had always helped out each other out when things were tough.

"By the way, nice uniform." Gale smirked, but I rolled my eyes.

Not only was I starting at a new school, but I also had to wear a uniform for the first time in my life. It consisted of a white shirt and a high waisted tartan skirt in blue. I had a blue sweater and a stiff blazer that made me feel very self-conscious of myself as I left the apartment. To complete the horrible outfit, I had a blue cross over tie and knee high white socks. Not only would I have to go to school with people I knew I would despise, but I also had to dress like them. I promised myself that the dress code would be the only aspect of the Upper East Side lifestyle that I would conform to, and nothing else. While I was entering a new school, I was determined not to let the experience change me.

I got up from the curb and we said our goodbyes. I forced myself to walk on through the streets to the bus stop, growing more anxious by the second. It took me thirty-five minutes to reach my destination, and I stepped off the crowded bus at the gates to the school. I was immediately awe struck by how huge and grand it was. A central courtyard shaded by trees was already filling with students and two wide staircases curved up towards the landing where the entrance to the school was. Wrought iron framed the windows and the steep rooves of the building were covered in grey slate tiles. I groaned internally when I saw students arrive in private cars and limousines. Seriously, who takes a limousine to high school? The excess of these people would never cease to astound me. As I watched the students stepping out of sleek black vehicles, checking their expensive phones and fixing their already perfectly styled hair, I felt like I had stepped into a completely new world.

I gulped and felt the palms of my hands start to get sweaty. I promised myself I would not look nervous, so I took the first steps into the school with my chin up and a determined look on my face. I found my way to a wood panelled corridor lined with blue metal lockers. I knew from the information package I had been sent the week before that my locker was number 12, and I found it soon enough. I began unpacking my books into the locker as more and more students spilled into the corridor, friends squealing and phones beeping. I turned around, and began studying my timetable, a feeling of dread washing over me as I realised I had no idea where I was going.

I suddenly had the feeling that someone was watching me, and I turned to come face to face with the bluest pair of eyes I had ever seen. They belonged to a boy, leaning against the locker beside mine. He had messy blonde hair that differed from the carefully styled hair I'd already noticed that most of the guys had at the school. It gave him a sense of genuineness, as though he was more real than the rest of them. However, as he leant casually against his locker, his shirt untucked and his tie loose around his neck, he watched me with confidence that meant he must be just as cocky as the rest.

"You must be new." He said in a surprisingly gentle voice, "Here, let me help you."

I was taken aback at first. I had not expected someone who appeared so confident to act so nicely towards me. He took my timetable and studied it for a moment. "You have English first, we're in the same class. I'll show you the way."

His kindness surprised me. I had expected that nobody here would notice me, but as I walked down the corridor I realised that almost every pair of eyes was following me, and I could hear them whispering already. Not only was I new, but I was also here on scholarship- the biggest sin in the world, apparently.

"Here we are." The boy said.

"Thank you." I replied, and turned to walk into the classroom.

"I'm Peeta, by the way."

"Katniss." I told him, eyeing him warily before entering the room.

I took a seat in an empty area of the classroom, while Peeta joined a loud and lively group of boys in the back row who greeted him with handshakes. As I watched, one pointed to me. He was, I have to admit, extremely attractive, with impossibly tanned skin, bronze hair and intense sea green eyes. He had to be an athlete, and looking around at the group Peeta was with, I realised that they were possibly the 'popular' group in our year. The other guys laughed, probably because Peeta explained how he had helped me, and any gratitude I felt towards his help disappeared. He was just another stuck up rich kid, looking to make fun of me because I didn't have a trust fund. Sighing, I opened my notebook as the class began. I reminded myself that I came here to get good grades, not to make friends. However, through the class I still couldn't shake the connection with Peeta, the first person to help me in this new and terrifying place.

* * *

In the free period I had next, I had a meeting with the school guidance counsellor, Cinna, to make sure I was settling in all right. I was hesitant to go, but Cinna's calm and gentle demeanour immediately made me feel at home.

"Miss Everdeen, welcome to The Capitol School." He said, leaning back in his leather desk chair. "How are you finding it so far?"

"It's different." I replied, "I'll get used to it."

"I'm sure you will." Cinna smiled, "Met anyone you could see yourself becoming friends with?"

"I'm not very good at making friends." I said honestly, "And I can't see myself wanting to be friends with anyone at this school."

"Why is that?"

"They live in a completely different world. They've never had to work for anything in their lives, never had to worry about going hungry and the biggest problem they face is deciding what party to go to on the weekend. "

"Do you think maybe this perception is a little biased?" He questioned, "Maybe you need to get to know them first. You might have more in common than you think."

"I doubt that."

"Look, I'll let you know a little secret. I'm not from here either, I was born and raised in Brooklyn. It took a long time for me to find my feet in a place like this, but I'm fine now!"

"That's different." I said stubbornly.

"How about we make a deal?" He asked, "Come back and see me in two weeks, and if you haven't made at least one friend here, then I'll admit that I was wrong and everyone here really is just as shallow as you described to me."

"So you don't think they are?"

"I know they aren't." He said confidently.

I thought for a moment. "Fine, deal."

"Deal." Cinna smiled.

I walked out of Cinna's office smiling. Maybe Cinna was alright, but I was yet to make up my mind about the rest of the people at this school.

* * *

The whole, 'not needing any friends' idea got a little harder at lunch, when I was met with sideways glances and sniggers as I tried to find a place to eat my lunch. I internally groaned when a group of girls came up to me.

"Hey, you must be the new girl, Katniss- right?" One girl said, who had a high-pitched voice and blonde curls that bounced when she spoke.

"That's me." I said, hoping she would go away.

"I'm Cashmere." She replied, "I heard you're here on scholarship- how cute. If you need any help going back to… where ever it is you're from, just let me know."

"Great, thanks." I said sarcastically, mimicking her bubbly tone.

"Well, bye!" Cashmere left, giggling with her group, each identical in their perfect uniforms and overly glossed lips.

So far, not one person seemed to appreciate the school that they were in. Spending class time checking their phones or slipping out of the classroom to check their makeup, it made me sick to think of how many kids back home would die to be in a place like this. But here, they are just throwing their education away.

"Bitches, right?" Another girl came and sat down beside me.

"Right." I agreed.

"Don't let them get to you. They'll forget all about you once there's a party to be planned. " She joked, "I'm Johanna, by the way."

Johanna didn't look like all the other girls I had seen. She had black hair that was streaked with red, a nose ring and combat boots on which I'm sure weren't part of the dress code. Looking at her though, I don't think any teacher would be game enough to call her out on it.

"You don't really look like you…" I began.

"Belong here?" Johanna questioned, "I don't. But my daddy dearest seems to think that I do. Technically, I'm one of them," she pointed to Cashmere's group, "But I do my best to reject the materialistic world in which I was raised." She had anger in her eyes, and it seemed like she really did hate this world, maybe even more than I do.

"So you've grown up with these people?"

"Yep, went to kindergarten with at least half of 'em. Cashmere actually used to be my best friend, until middle school when I realised how fake she was." She laughed, "Hey, how about I give you a little tour of the beauty contest that is The Capitol."

"Sure, why not."

Johanna pointed to Cashmere's group again. "Cashmere is the queen of her group, and her friends are nothing more than her little assistants. She looks sweet, but she is seriously deadly."

She turned to a group of guys sitting opposite. "See that big guy there? That's her brother, Gloss- a total idiot, spends most of his time smoking up. Next to him, that's Finnick Odair." She was talking about the tanned guy who pointed to me earlier, "He goes through more girls than anyone could keep of track of. Charming, yes, but don't be fooled by how ridiculously tanned he is." She laughed, "His best friend is Peeta, quarter back on the football team. His family owns Mellark Bakery downtown- great cupcakes, but that's about all he's good for."

"He helped me find my way to class." I added, watching him joke with Finnick.

"Really?" Johanna asked, "I've never seen him speak to a girl other than Cashmere's little posse. You must have had quite an effect on him."

Without meaning to, I blushed. Johanna scowled.

"Seriously, if you want my advice, stay away from those guys. They don't care about anything but sex, money and drugs. In that order. You're better off making friends with someone like me."

"I'm not really good at friends." I said, breaking my gaze way from Peeta.

Johanna shrugged, "Well you're better than no one. I need someone here to stop me from going crazy in this place."

It struck me that while Johanna may look and act tough, she probably was pretty lonely in a place where she didn't fit in. Even thought I realised Cinna was right and it meant that I had to admit that to him in our next session, I decided that maybe I could make one friend here, just one.


	2. Eyes Open

**A/N:** Thank you for my first four reviews! Hope you like this chapter!

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_Katniss'__ POV_

Finally it was the end of the day, and I packed my bag ready to catch the bus home. When I rounded the corner into my street, I was relived to finally see a familiar face. Gale was sitting on the curb again, wearing work overalls and covered in a fine layer of dust. At eighteen years old, he left school two years ago to start a building apprentiship. It was good work for Gale, who was strong and had steady hands, plus, he would make enough money to better support his mother's Laundromat business a block down from our apartment.

"Hey Catnip." Gale smiled, "How was your first day? In love with a guy with a trust fund yet?" He was joking, but was there a hint of fear in his eyes?

"Actually, it wasn't that bad…apart from the fact everyone turned up in limousines and had pencil cases that cost more than my rent."

Gale laughed, "Wanna hang out tonight, you can tell me all about it."

"I've gotta work…" I checked my watch, "In about, 20 minutes- I'll see you soon, though?"

"Yeah, soon." Gale sighed.

I started working at the pizza place down the road as soon as I was old enough. The pay wasn't great, and the people I encountered weren't either, but it was the best that I could do to bring some more money in. With our mother calling in sick from her work as a nurse so often, I had to do all I could to support Prim and I, but still, we struggled. It's not like either of us really wanted anything in particular, but it would be nice to buy Prim new clothes once in a while, seeing as most were hand me downs. It made me more determined to stick it out at The Capitol School, so I could get a good job and give Prim the security she needed after the death of our father left us both feeling so unstable.

When I returned home from my shift, Prim was sitting at the dining table working on her homework. I watched her for a moment, as she was completely oblivious to the world outside of the equation she was solving. She had cooked her and our mother dinner by the looks of the dishes drying by the sink. It seemed like only yesterday she was a child, but since our father's death she had to grow up so quickly.

"Hey, Prim." I said, crossing to her and taking a seat beside her. "How was school?"

"It was ok." Prim shrugged, "Rory and I are in the same class."

I was relieved. Rory, Gale's younger brother, was Prim's closest friend. She would be fine if they were together. "That's great."

"How was your first day?" She asked eagerly.

"It was interesting…" I said.

"Interesting?" Prim questioned, "Did you make any friends?"

"Yeah, one girl- Johanna Mason. She's from the Upper East Side but hates it more than I do."

"Wow, that's a lot then!" Prim joked. "What about any boys?" she asked in a cheeky tone.

"Well one, Peeta, helped me to class. But he's just like the rest of them." I said more bitterly than I intended to.

"Is he cute?" she smiled.

"Since when does my baby sister ask about cute boys?" I replied. She really was growing up.

"Well, is he?" she persisted, grinning more widely.

I laughed but stood up from the table. There was no way I was telling her the truth, she would never stop talking about it. "I'm having a shower." I told her instead, "I smell like cheese!"

Prim laughed, "He _so_ is, then."

I sighed. There was no getting passed Prim, she knew me better than anyone.

* * *

Apart from two unfortunate encounters with the most vicious members of The Capitol School population, my first week of school went by well.

The first encounter I experienced took place before school had even begun. Cashmere and her followers were sitting together on the main steps of the school building when I arrived in the morning.

"Katniss, hi." Cashmere flashed me a fake smile.

"Cashmere." I replied, trying to move passed her.

"Sit for a moment?" she continued.

I stopped, but remained standing. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to know how you were finding The Capitol School, it must be pretty different from your old school."

"That's for sure." I replied, uninterested.

"Seen any boys you think are cute?" she asked.

"No, why?" I answered quickly.

"Good." Her eyes narrowed, "Because if you were to find any of them cute I suggest that you change your mind, or I might have to start a rumour that just may ruin your chance at a good college." She spoke so sweetly, despite the threat she was apparently making.

"Ok?" I replied, confused by the direction the conversation had taken, "I'll remember that." As I walked off, I heard them snickering again. I sighed.

The second encounter occured a day later, before Johanna joined me for lunch. Peeta and his friends were in their usual lunch spot, when I saw Gloss approach me, a smirk on his face. I tried to escape him, but he reached me before I had a chance to stand up.

"So Katniss, I've heard a lot about you." he said, sitting down next to me, too close for my liking. "Scholarship, right?"

"Yes." I replied, trying to disengage.

"Listen, you're new, and I thought you'd like to better get to know how things work around here." He moved closer to me, so I could feel his breath on my neck, "What do you say you come over to my place tonight for a little _initiation_ into this world. It would be sure to up your social status from the bottom with Johanna, and might just get my sister off your case."

"No thanks, I'm fine." I said coldly. I knew exactly what he was implying, but was he serious?

"Think about it, alright?" He winked, "I know a couple of the guys have their eye on you."

I rolled my eyes as he walked away, but my skin was shivering uncomfortably. Gloss was seriously creepy, and there was no way I wanted to be alone with him ever again. Thankfully, Johanna arrived to change the unpleasant course lunch had taken. When I told her about what Gloss had said, she didn't seem surprised.

"Is he always like that?" I asked.

"Look, things can get a bit boring around here when there isn't anything _scandalous_ taking place, you know- affairs, stinks in rehab, unexpected pregnancies..." She sighed, "You're new, exciting, a challenge."

"A challenge?" I inquired.

"Yeah. It happens in every year level, the guys compete to see who can sleep with the new girl first. It's sick."

"Ugh." I rolled my eyes, "This place is so messed up."

"You're telling me." She replied glumly.

The more I found out about this world, the less and less I liked it. From Cashmere's threats to the games Gloss and his friends seemed to be playing, I wondered if I was going to make it out of this school alive.

* * *

Another odd thing I noticed was that each day, as I closed my locker door, I saw Peeta staring at me, only for him to quickly look away, his cheeks turning a faint shade of red. He never said a word to me, despite his stares, and it was different from the leers I had received from others in the hallways as I made my way to class. On Friday morning, however, I closed my locker door to find Finnick Odair's sea green eyes intently watching me instead.

"Hey Katniss." he said casually, moving closer as if we really hadn't just met.

"Hi, Finnick." I stepped back, trying to put some more distance between us.

"I realised I haven't properly introduced myself. Finnick Odair, maybe you've heard of me." His voice was smooth and a little smug.

"Unfortunately." I replied, flatly.

"Pretty, but feisty." he said slowly, "Well I do like a challenge."

Ugh. "I'm not interested." I told him, turning away.

"Come on Katniss, a girl like you is lucky to even have my attention."

"Well a money obsessed guy like you is lucky to have _my _attention." I shot back.

"Oh, I couldn't care less about money," he said, still laying on the charm, "But I do love secrets…How about you and I take a walk after school?" He leant in close and whispered, "I'm sure you have plenty of secrets worth my time."

I had to hand it to him- he was good. It was easy to see how he could win someone over with his charm, and I found myself almost blushing as I felt his breath on my neck. I realised I didn't have a comeback for him, but before I could say anything, Peeta was standing by his side.

"Hey, go easy on her Finnick," Peeta said, "Something tells me Katniss won't fall so easily for your…_undeniable _charm." He said sarcastically.

"Katniss and I were merely acquainting ourselves with one another." Finnick winked, "The offer's still there." He turned and walked away.

"Listen, don't worry about Finnick, he's an idiot." Peeta said to me.

"Yeah, I figured." I started to walk away, when he followed.

"We have psychology next, I guess we could walk together." he said.

"Right, ok." I shrugged.

We walked to class in an awkward silence, and I hoped to avoid him once we arrived. However, our class teacher, Miss Trinket, had other ideas.

"Come come now, settle down." She said in a ridiculously high pitched voice. "I have a big big big class planned for you today! We are starting a new assignment, which you shall be working on in groups. Isn't that wonderful?"

The class was silent, apparently not sharing her enthusiasm. Internally, I groaned when I looked at which group I had been assigned to- Peeta, and two girls I hadn't met, Delly and Madge. It seemed like the odds were never in my favour when it came to avoiding Peeta Mellark.

"We meet again." Peeta smiled as I sat down with him and the two other girls.

"Hi, I'm Madge," said the girl with long, blonde hair and kind blue eyes.

"I'm Delly," said the smiling girl beside her.

I had heard of Madge before, the principle's daughter who spent most of her time in the library with Delly, her best friend. Maybe the group wouldn't be too bad, except of course, Peeta was there. I expected him not to do any of the work, but surprisingly he was happy to help. When I looked across at the group beside us, I saw Gloss sitting back, staring at the ceiling while his poor group was reading together. I rolled my eyes, it must be so lovely not to have to worry about school, or college, or work because money would always be available.

"Katniss?" Peeta's voice cut through my thoughts.

"Sorry, what?" I asked.

"We decided to split the work in two- maybe you and I could do half and Delly and Madge do the other half?"

"Oh, I could work with you, Peeta." Delly said quickly, then blushed. I realised that she must have a crush on him.

"Yeah, I'll work with Madge." I gave her a smile.

"Well you girls live right next door to each other, it would be easier for you to work together." Peeta continued. Why was he being so persistent?

Delly looked defeated, "Yeah ok, that makes sense."

"Great," Peeta gave me an incredibly sweet smile, "Looks like we'll be working together."

That smile, that sweet, kind smile. It wasn't like Finnick's charming smile, that aimed to get me into bed with him, and it wasn't like Gloss's either, which only creeped me out. That was the first genuine smile I had received from someone other that Johanna, and it caught me by surprise.


	3. Between Two Worlds

**A/N:** I tried to post this chapter earlier, but I kept getting an error message, ughhhh. Hopefully that doesn't happen again!

* * *

_Katniss' POV_

I was packing my school bag and trying to decide what to cook for dinner when my thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

"Howdy, partner." Peeta's voice came from over my shoulder. I turned to see him standing behind me, with his books in his hands.

"Hey," I said, continuing to pack my bag. It was the end of the school week and I was desperate to get out of this place.

"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to work on that project tonight?" Peeta asked. I stared at him for a moment, until he dropped his eyes, embarrassed. "Unless you have plans, I mean."

"No, I don't." I said slowly, "But it's Friday night. Don't you have some party to go to or something?"

"And watch Finnick make out with every girl there?" he laughed, "I need a break from that tonight."

Peeta seemed like he genuinely wanted to get out of whatever it was he was invited to. It struck me as odd, I thought he of all people would be in his element at some penthouse party with an open bar and all his friends. It just didn't fit with his 'image' to spend Friday night working on a school project. He was still looking for an answer though, hope in his eyes. Maybe he really did need a break from his regular life.

"Ok." I agreed. I told myself my real reason for agreeing was not to help Peeta but for the sake of getting a good grade on the project, the point of why I was at the school in the first place. But when his face lit up with a smile, my heart seemed to tell me otherwise. "Where?"

"My place?" he asked.

I froze, "Is this just some excuse to get me in your room, give me something to drink and then joke to all your friends that you got with the new girl on the scholarship?" It was his turn to stare at me. "Sorry, I don't think before I say things sometimes…"

Peeta started to laugh. "I think you have the wrong idea about the people at this school. We aren't all like that."

"Oh really?" I challenged him.

"Yes, really." he smiled, "So do you want to come or not?"

I rolled my eyes, "Sure."

In my whole life I had hardly ever spent any large amounts of voluntary time in the Upper East Side. When I was younger, my father would take Prim and I window shopping during the summer, and for a few hours we could pretend that we really lived there, amongst people carrying trays of coffee, negotiating art deals on the phone and walking tiny, fluffy dogs along the street. Prim loved those outings, but I didn't. I didn't see the point in pretending only to return home to an apartment with no air conditioning and poor lighting. I decided to try and keep an open mind this time, and not be too quick to judge the Upper East Side lifestyle once again.

That decision did not last long. I knew it was a mistake to agree to this when Peeta ushered me into the limousine waiting outside the school entrance. We sat in an uncomfortable silence in the dark cabin of the vehicle until it pulled up outside an apartment building ten times the size of mine. I knew it was a mistake again when a doorman held the door open for us as we walked into a beautiful lobby with a marble floor and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. When we stepped into the elevator and Peeta pressed the button for the penthouse, I regretted it even more.

To be fair though, the apartment was amazing. Light poured through the massive windows that gave a perfect view of the New York City skyline, and reflected off the stainless steel kitchen bench tops that probably were never used. It formed rainbows on the walls as it shone through the smaller chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

"Wow." I said, despite myself.

Peeta laughed, "Make yourself at home." He gestured towards the pristine white leather couch in the centre of the room. "I'd offer you a drink, but I don't want to give you the wrong idea." I looked at him for a moment to see if he was joking, until he cracked a smile, "A soda?"

There was something about his smile that made me want to smile too. "That would be great, thanks."

I realised pretty quickly that my previous judgement of Peeta's intentions were completely wrong. We worked on the project for an hour, him sitting on the floor and me on the couch, and he didn't once look at his phone that was sitting beside him, even though I could see that Finnick was calling him.

"Oh hey," I said, suddenly remembering Prim, "I should call my sister, to let her know I won't be home for a while."

"Go ahead." Peeta replied, "I'll still be here."

When I called, I could practically feel Prim's grin over the phone when I told her where I was.

"Told you so." she said in a sing song voice.

"Told me what?"

"That he was cute!" she laughed.

"That has nothing to do with it!" I exclaimed, "It's for school."

"Sure, sure." Prim said, "Whatever."

"So you'll be fine tonight?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'll go hang out with Rory."

"Don't get in any trouble!" I joked, as if Prim would ever do anything wrong.

"That's more your style." she joked back.

Once again, my little sister had me smiling.

* * *

After I called, Peeta seemed actually interested to know more about my family. I had no idea why he was so interested in getting to know me, I figured that no one at the school would care about my life at all.

"You have a sister?" he asked.

"Yeah- Prim. She's twelve" I smiled.

"You love her a lot." Peeta observed.

"I'd do anything for her."

"I wish I had the same relationship with my older brothers." Peeta looked saddened.

"You aren't close?"

"We used to be, but once we got older it became clear to my mother how much better they are than I am. They're the favourites, and they leave me alone."

"I'm sorry." Unable to think of what exactly to say. Peeta looked upset and it seemed to me that he didn't share that kind of information with many people. I wished I was a better person and could say something to cheer him up.

"No, I'm sorry. I don't usually tell people that…I don't know why I just did." He looked embarrassed, "It's just, my family is pretty messed up."

"Tell me about it." I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"What are your parents like?"

I sighed, "Well, my father is dead…and my mother hasn't been able to get out of bed since…I take care of my sister now." I looked away, "I don't usually tell people that either."

"I didn't mean to pry." Peeta said uncomfortably.

"No, it's fine." I said, "Just don't go telling all your friends. They think I'm enough of a freak already."

"They don't think that." he said honestly, "They're just messing around. Things can get pretty boring around here, and you're fresh blood."

"Great, just waiting to be slaughtered."

He laughed, before thinking for a moment, "Will your sister be ok, if you aren't home for dinner?"

"She'll be fine, my best friend Gale will look after her."

"Best friend Gale?" Peeta looked at me to tell him more.

"Yeah, we grew up together, we've known each other our whole lives." I paused for a moment, "His dad died too, so he knows what it's like to do it tough."

"Sounds like you really like him…" Peeta suddenly looked vulnerable, "Are you really just friends?"

"Yes." I answered him suspiciously, "Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Peeta said quickly, "We should keep going."

I ended up staying much passed dinner. Peeta served us left over lamb stew that he had made himself the night before and I immediately took back my initial judgement that no one had ever used that spotlessly clean kitchen. Not only that, but Peeta was a really good cook. I was beginning to think that there really was more to Peeta than I first thought, and the more we spoke, the more I wanted to properly get to know him.

However, I knew I had to leave, to make sure I was home before Prim went to sleep. Before I left, Peeta asked if we could meet up again tomorrow.

"I can't sorry, I have work." I said, and I was surprised at how annoyed that made me feel. Then I felt annoyed that I was annoyed I wouldn't be able to see him. "Sunday?"

"I work on Sundays." Peeta replied. Another surprise that Peeta threw at me. I never expected any of the kids at The Capitol School to work a day of their teenaged lives. Why would they need a job when they had enough money for anything they wanted?

"Maybe after school on Monday then?" I suggested.

"I guess that will have to do." Peeta said glumly.

"Well, I'll see you then."

Peeta gave me another sweet smile, which stayed with me as I rode the elevator back down to the lobby and walked into the fresh night air.

* * *

As much as I found I enjoyed studying with Peeta, his question about Gale played on my mind long after I left his apartment. Was Gale just my best friend? Or was he something more? Gale had always been there for me- sticking up for me in neighbourhood fights, practically helping me raise Prim after our father died, even submitting the scholarship application. We also had a darker past of stealing things together when we were kids. As part of our Seam gang it was all a game to us, and we were good at it. But we were young and stupid, and I regret it now. However, that secret binds us together forever.

It was almost 10pm when I walked into the stairwell of my apartment, and found Gale sitting on the bottom step of the stairs in the semi darkness. I'd tried to get a better light for the area, but not matter what, the globe always seemed to flicker on and off.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"I was working on a group project, I thought Prim would have told you." I replied.

"Well you should have called me, so you didn't have to come home alone."

"I was fine by myself." I had been catching the subway alone since I was ten years old.

"I don't like you being out here alone when it's dark," he said, "It's not safe out here, Katniss!"

"Gale, I'll be fine." Where had his sudden protectiveness come from?

"Hey!" a slurred voice came from the flight of stairs above, "If anyone tries to hurt Katniss here, they'll have to come through me first!" Haymitch appeared in the dark stairwell.

"You're not helping, Haymitch." Gale said through gritted teeth.

"Katniss knows how to look after herself." Haymitch said, "Besides, that snarky personality of hers would send anyone running a mile."

"Thanks, Haymitch." I rolled my eyes.

Haymitch was the resident drunk, never seen without a bottle of liquor in his hand or, unfortunately, with clean hair. From what I'd gathered, he had a tough childhood, which turned into a tough adulthood, which began when the love of his life left him for another man. He never spoke about her, but I know it still hurts him. When sober though, Haymitch was actually an okay guy. Sure, he liked to insult my personality but he does care about us, and looked out for both Gale and myself as we grew up. We're kind of the only family he has.

I pushed passed both Gale and Haymitch and stomped up the stairs. What I really wanted was to take a shower and go to sleep, so this day would finally be over. However, when I reached my apartment door, I found Prim sitting outside in the dark hallway.

"Hey little duck." I said, sitting down beside her. "What are you doing out here?"

"Mum's crying again." she said softly, "I couldn't bear it anymore." She rested her head against my shoulder.

My heart dropped. So often it was Prim who could calm our mother down and comfort her when she got so buried in her grief that she couldn't break free on her own. I had given up long ago, I felt little compassion towards her anymore. We all lost someone the day our father died, but she wasn't there to look after us. It had to be the other way around and some how I was the one who had to raise Prim after that day. Now, if even Prim couldn't help her, I wondered what would happen to her.

"How was your study night?" Prim asked, to change the conversation.

"Confusing." I said honestly.

"Why?"

"Peeta isn't as bad as I thought."

"And that's a bad thing?"

I laughed, "Yes Prim! Peeta is supposed to represent everything I hate- rich, popular and free from any kind of worry in life. To find out that he is actually a really nice guy…well, it's harder for me to hate him." I realised that didn't really make much sense.

"Maybe the people you go to school with aren't really as bad as you think, Katniss. Maybe if you gave them a chance, you would have a better time at school. It's worth a try, isn't it?"

When did Prim become so wise? When did my little baby sister, who asked me how to spell words and if I believed in Heaven, grow up into such a mature girl? Maybe she was right, hating the people I go to school with was easy, and letting them in was harder, so maybe I should give Peeta more of a chance.


	4. Sky High Standard

**A/N: **This chapter is told from Peeta's point of view, and I will changing perspectives throughout the story- hopefully it still makes sense! Also more of Finnick coming up soon!

* * *

_Peeta's POV_

I was literally counting down the minutes until Monday afternoon, when Katniss and I would be able to work on our psychology project alone again. I waited for her while she packed up her schoolbag, and I hoped she didn't notice they way I was looking at her. I couldn't help it though- she was beautiful. No, more than that. She was my dream girl. For so long I had looked up and down these halls and seen girls that all looked the same with their designer bags, heavy makeup and styled hair, but Katniss wasn't like that. Her hair was pulled into a messy side braid that had come loose during the day, and she didn't need makeup, she was already stunning.

"You right there?" Katniss looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

Great, she caught me staring. I coughed, embarrassed, "Ah yep, let's go."

She seemed more comfortable slipping into the limousine with me today than the first time we studied together. To be honest, I felt that the whole private car thing was a little over the top, but my mother insisted, and that was that.

When we arrived at the apartment, I was relieved that no one was home. Katniss sat down on the couch, and again I couldn't believe that she had agreed to study with me. I figured that she hated me, and everyone else at The Capitol School, and for good reason. My friends had hardly made a good first impression.

"I made biscuits last night, if you'd like some." I told her.

She looked at me for a moment, "Sure."

I brought over the plate of biscuits I had spent hours icing just for her, and suddenly felt nervous that she wouldn't like them. For some reason it felt very important to me for her to like them, like I needed to impress her with my baking, which I knew was ridiculous. Taking one bite of the biscuit though, she smiled at me.

"These are really good!" she exclaimed, helping herself to another.

"Thanks," I felt a blush spread over my cheeks, "I thought you could bring some home for your sister, if you'd like."

"She would love that." Katniss paused for a moment, as if lost in thought, "We walked by your bakery once, a few years ago with our father. Prim loved all the decorated cakes in the window….My father said he would buy her one for her birthday some day." She stopped again, before realising I was watching her intently, "Sorry, I'd forgotten about that."

Katniss had a sad expression on her face as she relived that memory, and for a moment I felt bad for bringing up memories of her father who she clearly missed more than anything. I started to feel guilty for ever feeling like my life was unfair, when for Katniss everything must be so much harder. I often caught myself wishing for a different life, not one filled with dinner parties, uncomfortable suits and first class flights to Europe. I found everything about the Upper East Side so dull and I was tired of the parties and the gossip and the 'scandals'. Katniss was like a breath of fresh air, my chance to be myself without the reputation I had gained from being the quarter back on the football team and the son of wealthy business owners. I loved that Katniss really cared about her sister, and I had so much respect for her because she worked hard for everything she had, unlike me which was handed to me at birth.

Another thing I loved about Katniss was how she looked when she studied. She was so focused and intent on her work that she didn't even notice that I was watching her. It was hard to concentrate, I'm not going to lie, when she was sitting so close to me on my couch. I'd never felt that nervous around a girl before and I wanted to do anything I could to make her happy and comfortable. It was going well until my mother arrived, who unfortunately had other plans for our study date.

"Peeta, are you home?" The second I heard my mother's voice, everything inside me froze.

I sat up straighter as she entered the room. By the look on my mother's face I immediately knew that I was in trouble. This was not going to be good.

"Oh you are." she said, unimpressed. "I thought I told you to go to the bakery after school to help with the flour delivery."

My stomach dropped. Oh no, I had completely forgotten about that. "I'm sorry, I forgot."

"Forgot?" she snarled, "Peeta, your father and I spend all this money for you to go to a good school, I ask you to do one thing for me, just one thing! And instead I find you here with some new girl, like you don't care about this family at all!"

I felt myself getting angrier and angrier by the second. "Why couldn't Rhys or Wyatt do it?"

"Peeta, your brother's are very busy with college and football, you know that. I can't believe you would be so selfish."

"Mum, can we talk about this later?" I said through gritted teeth.

"No, I don't care that you're trying to impress whoever this girl is, we need to talk about this right now."

"Mum, please." I was begging now, how embarrassing.

"I can't believe you would behave in such a careless way- your brothers were never like this."

"But they never worked at the bakery- I do! Every week! " I couldn't believe her.

"Don't talk back to me Peeta." She went to turn away, "Don't bother coming to the dinner table tonight."

Finally my mother was gone. I was absolutely seething, my hands hurting from clenching my fists so tightly, but when I turned back to Katniss I was so embarrassed I couldn't meet her eye. She was sitting completely still, her pen still in her hand, and I could tell she was uncomfortable and didn't know what to say.

"Peeta…" she said quietly.

"I think you should just go." I muttered. I couldn't bear to be around her after she had witnessed something so embarrassing.

Instead, I watched her pack up her books in silence and walk towards the elevator. She turned to wave goodbye, but I looked away. I only looked up as the elevator doors started to close, and I thought that I had just lost my chance with the most perfect girl I had ever met.

* * *

After I finished the rest of my homework, I left the apartment without saying a word to my family. I doubted that they would notice that I was gone, so what was the point? I took the subway three stops to Mellark Bakery, which was closed up for the night. I entered through the back door into the storeroom, where bags of flour where piled up high on the floor. Sighing, I flicked on the lights and got to work stacking them properly. Soon I found that the monotony of the task calmed me down.

When I was younger, I found that baking had a similar effect on me. Whenever I was upset, angry or confused about something, I always knew that baking would make me feel better. To me, kneading dough for hours was much more effective than any punching bag. Growing up, my anger was mostly directed towards my mother, and the way she treated me. Even though I was her only son to express any interest in the family business, she always favoured my brothers, who were smarter and better at sports than I would ever be. I even made the school football team just to please her, not because I particularly liked to play, but even that wasn't enough for her to notice me. To her, I was just an extra set of hands in the kitchen, and she only recognised my talent for baking as a way to make more money. So I had long ago given up trying to please her, and worked at the bakery only for my own enjoyment.

There was just something so satisfying about pulling a freshly baked loaf of bread out of the oven, or watching people marvel over my decorated cakes. While I was not as skilled as my brothers in many things, baking was something that I was good at. To release my anger and embarrassment over the situation with my mother, I began making a batch of brownies. Usually sifting the flour and cracking the eggs would be enough to take my mind off of things, however, not even baking could ease the pain I felt at potentially loosing Katniss.

So instead I decided to try plan B: Speaking to Finnick. Although he wasn't exactly good with other people's problems, he could always make me laugh, and that was what I really needed. Finnick lived a block away from me, in a lavish apartment along with his mother, father and his old nanny Mags, who still lived with the family despite Finnick no longer needing her care. He was closer to her than his own mother, and was the only person I had ever seen him show real affection for. When I arrived, Finnick was in the middle of an intense Scrabble game with Mags, who of course was winning by a mile.

"Peeta my friend!" He said cheerfully, "Tell me, what words could I possibly make with these letters?"

"Cheater!" Mags exclaimed.

I looked at his letters- Q, C, B, A, L, W. "I think you're out of luck." I told him.

"Ah whatever." Finnick said, "I'm out for today Mags, but I call for re match tomorrow!"

Mags rolled her eyes as she stood to leave. "I'll still beat you."

"So what's up, Peeta?" Finnick asked once Mags had left the room.

"Family stuff." I told him.

"Ah." Finnick said, trying to sound wise, "Tried baking?" Apart from Katniss, Finnick was the only person who knew the true extent of my mother's unpleasantness. He needed no explanation from me to know that it had something to do with her.

"Didn't help." I said glumly.

"How was your date then?" he asked.

"It wasn't a date." I said quickly, "But that's part of the problem- my mum came home right in the middle of it."

"And scared Katniss off by the sounds of things."

"If Katniss speaks to me again I'll be surprised."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up." he said, a poor attempt to cheer me up, but I appreciated it none the less. "There's plenty of fish in the sea."

Yeah, for Finnick maybe, who'd never had a relationship with a girl that lasted longer than one day. I never understood how he could move on from a girl so quickly. What I felt for Katniss was different from what I'd ever felt before, and there was no way I would be able to get over her anytime soon. She had made such an impact on me, from the moment I met her, that she was impossible to forget.

* * *

The following day at school, I could barely look at Katniss after what had happened. I tried to avoid her during the day, even going to my locker after she had left hers. Unfortunately when we met the end of the day, she refused to let what happened go. She seemed genuinely worried about me, but I still felt sick about all the things she heard my mother say.

"Katniss, can we not talk about it?" I said, frustrated.

"Look, don't worry Peeta. I'm used to getting treated badly by people." she tried to reassure me, "I'm just sorry she treated you the way she did."

"Yeah well I'm used to that as well." I said sadly. "Do you think you could keep that to yourself though, people here don't really know that she is so… you know."

"Sure." Katniss replied.

When I finally looked at her properly, I didn't see any judgement in her eyes, or pity or sadness. Instead I saw a reassuring smile, a smile that made me feel like maybe she wasn't going anywhere. Maybe things would still work out for us.


	5. Glad You Came

**A/N: **For anyone wondering, the Finnick and Annie storyline will start in the chapter after this one!

* * *

_Katniss' POV_

My second session with Cinna went better than expected, given the fact that he was right and maybe I was wrong to judge the people at the school. Only some of them though, which I made sure was clear to him. While I explained to him the encounters with Cashmere, Gloss and Finnick, I also found myself talking about Peeta, and how I had him completely wrong. He wasn't just like the rest, he was different, and I liked that. That realisation terrified me though, I wasn't supposed to feel that way about anyone at the school.

"I knew you'd come around." Cinna said, smiling. "So it's not as bad here as you thought?"

"Maybe not." I answered, "I'm still not here to make friends though. I need to get into a good college."

"I'm sure you will." Cinna said nicely.

"Do you think so?"

"Of course." Cinna smiled, "Of all the students here, I'm betting on you to make into whatever college you want."

I smiled, "Thanks, Cinna." I really hoped he was right.

Not only did Cinna's session work out well, but my group for the psychology project did too. Madge and Delly worked hard on their half of the project, and I found out that both of them were really nice girls. They joined Johanna and I for lunch some days during the week, and we were able to have conversations that weren't centred around what dress to wear to whatever party on whatever day. Maybe I had more friends at this school than I thought. However, when we submitted the project the following Thursday afternoon, I didn't think I would spend any more time with Peeta. Madge and Delly I would definitely see again, but not Peeta. He obviously had other ideas.

"Hey, Katniss!" he said, running to catch up to me after class as we headed back to our lockers. "I was just wondering, are you free tomorrow night?"

"I think so, why?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well there's this party, one of the guys on the football team is throwing it at his place. Maybe you want to come with me?" He didn't meet my eye when he spoke and he seemed suddenly overcome with shyness.

"You're asking me to go with you to some party with your friends, all of whom hate me, may I remind you."

"They don't hate you, I've told you that." he laughed, "They just don't know you. Give them a chance."

"I don't think so, Peeta, an Upper East Side party isn't exactly how I saw myself spending tomorrow night."

"Come on, it will be fun."

"For you, maybe. You're one of them. I'm not."

"Look, to be honest, I don't like most of them either. I kind of need someone to make fun of them with."

"Well that changes things slightly." I joked.

"You in?"

"I'll think about it." I said, smiling only because he was too.

At first, Johanna was dead set against me going to the party, and I was too. There was no way I wanted to spend a whole night at some awful rich kid party. It sounded like a nightmare. However, Johanna soon had what she called a 'brilliant' idea that I could report back to her on all the 'scandalous' things that took place.

"You want me to spy on them?" I asked incredulously.

"Not spy- observe." she corrected, "Come on, it would be hilarious."

"Oh yeah, then why don't you go?"

"It's really not my scene." she told me, "Besides, I'm not even invited, but you are!"

"I don't think this is a good idea." I said warily.

"Come on Katniss, it will be a bit of fun. Just don't end up becoming one of them." she warned.

"Oh don't worry, that won't happen." I promised.

In the end, it was Prim who made the decision for me that I would go to the party with Peeta, even though every cell in my body was screaming that it was the worst idea ever. Spending the day at school with those people was bad enough, and I had absolutely no desire to see them in their natural habitat- a party with free alcohol.

"Katniss, come on!" Prim wailed, "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Can you imagine how _amazing_ the apartment would be?"

"I don't want to imagine a single thing about it." I said stubbornly.

"Please, Katniss. Aren't you just a little bit curious to know what it's like?"

"Not the slightest."

"Then what about Peeta?"

"What about him?"

"Don't you want to see him, at least?"

She had me there. The only thing tempting me about the stupid party was the chance to spend more time with him, as much as I hated to admit that.

"He'll ditch me as soon as some semi drunk blonde batts her lashes at him."

"Well then you better go to scare them off."

Prim spent the rest of the night pleading with me to go before I finally gave in and agreed, even though I spent the rest of the time dreading it.

* * *

Peeta wanted to pick me up from my apartment, but I managed to convince him that it would be much quicker if I just met him at his apartment instead. I was not entirely sure why I was so hesitant for Peeta to see where I lived. Sure, the neighbourhood was dodgy but I'd never felt ashamed of my address. The thought was still on my mind as I waited for Peeta in the foyer. I was feeling sick about the whole situation. For a moment I considered just leaving and not going to the party at all, but at the same time as I turned to leave, the elevator door opened and Peeta stepped out.

"Wow," he said, "You look amazing."

Despite myself, I blushed. Prim had managed to find one of our mother's old dresses that was half way decent, and thankfully it fitted. "Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself."

That was an understatement of course. He looked great, but I didn't want to let him catch me looking at him, like I had caught him a thousand times. Still I couldn't ignore the butterflies in my stomach when he put his hand on the middle of my back as we walked towards the limousine waiting outside.

When we pulled up outside another huge apartment building, I could see the lights flashing from the very top floor and I knew that that was where we were heading. The party was straight out of a high school movie, except instead of red cups everyone drank from crystal glasses and the room was lit by three chandeliers. The music was playing so loudly I could barely think and people were screaming and laughing and staggering around, drunk already.

I must have had a terrified expression on my face because Peeta turned to me and gave me a reassuring smile.

"Hang on, I'll get you a drink." he said over the music.

I was left alone for a moment, leaning against the wood panelled wall. Within moments Cashmere and her friends had descended upon me, looking extremely displeased.

"What are you doing here?" Cashmere demanded.

"Peeta invited me." I replied, hoping he would be quicker with those drinks.

"Peeta?" Cashmere asked incredulously, "As in Peeta Mellark?"

"Yes, that's the one." Like there were any other Peeta's in our year.

"Why would he invite _you_?"

"Beats me." I sounded sarcastic, but I was actually asking myself the same question. Why would he want me to come, when he could be with any of these other girls?

Thankfully, Peeta returned and handed me a drink. I took a sip immediately and Cashmere scowled.

"Cashmere!" Peeta said overly cheerful, "Nice to see you."

"We were just talking to your date." Cashmere sneered.

I tried to tell her that no, this was not a date, but Peeta was sliding his arm around my waist, pulling me close. "Need to say any more? I'd like to keep her all to myself." he said.

Cashmere was scowling again. She narrowed her eyes at me and crossed her arms, before walking away, followed by her friends. As soon as they were gone, Peeta let out a sigh of relief.

"Seriously, that girl will be the death of me." he said.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"For over two years she's been trying to get me to ask her out, but there is _no_ way that would ever happen."

"Really?" I was surprised.

"Yes really! She's awful and nowhere close to my type." he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh and what's your type then?" I asked teasingly.

"I don't know maybe…dark hair, smart, stubborn…" he joked.

"I am not stubborn!" I exclaimed.

"Who said I was talking about you?" he replied.

For a second I wasn't sure if he was joking and I felt myself go red. Suddenly he smiled and leant close.

"I _was_ talking about you." he whispered, making my skin tingle.

That was a situation I had never been in before. Not just the party, but flirting with a boy. I suddenly felt very out of my depth. However, we were quickly interrupted as Gloss pushed passed us to throw up in the pot plant by the wall. I was more comfortable after that, as we watched in amusement everything that was going on in the room, from some boy called Brutus doing shots to Finnick surrounded by girls. However, I couldn't help ignore the fact that Peeta still had his arm around my waist.

* * *

It was nearly midnight when I went out into the hall to find the bathroom. The apartment was huge and made up of corridor after corridor of wood panelled walls. I got a little lost on the way back, and found myself in a deserted part of the apartment. When I heard voices, I quickly ducked into a small alcove, still while having full view of the hall.

I saw a girl with long blonde hair leave one of the bedrooms, her hair messy and the zip of her dress not properly done up. I recognised Finnick, leaving the room after her, his hair equally as tousled and wobbling slightly as if he'd had quite a lot to drink. The girl kissed Finnick on the cheek and whispered something to him, before running off in the opposite direction down the stairs towards the party. Finnick sighed and ran a hand through his hair before sitting down on the top step of the stairs, his head in his hands. Great, now I had to pass him to get back to Peeta.

Sighing to myself, I prepared myself to walk by, cursing under my breath when he spoke.

"Ah, Katniss. Didn't expect to see you here." he said smoothly, "Well actually, I kind of did, considering how Peeta won't stop talking about you."

"What?" I asked, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Oh yeah, won't stop going on about you." he gave a joking groan, "Totally in love- makes me sick."

"Well, meaningless hook ups aren't for everyone." I shot back at him.

"You're telling me." he said. Suddenly he looked said. When I thought about the way he looked leaving that room minutes before, it wasn't exactly the smug victory walk that I expected from him. Instead, he looked tired…broken.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Katniss, I'm only telling you this because you seem like the only girl in this school that doesn't spread gossip. So listen carefully, because it's not often that the infamous Finnick Odair shares a real feeling." Despite the honesty of what he was saying, he kept up the charming demeanour that I was beginning to feel was just as act.

"Ok?" I said. Maybe he was just drunk, but I was still feeling a little uncomfortable about the sudden turn this conversation had taken. I decided that whatever it was he was going to say would not be shared with Johanna, because Finnick was right- I didn't like gossip and I never would.

"Maybe hooking up isn't for me, either. Maybe love doesn't make me sick." he looked at me, "If you like Peeta and he likes you, you've gotta make sure it works out." Finnick stood, wobbled a little, and left me standing on the staircase very confused about what had just happened.

I didn't see Finnick again for the rest of the party. By the end of the night, I had to admit that I actually had a pretty good time. So maybe Cinna was even more right than I first thought. The people here did surprise me, and maybe like Finnick, they all had secrets to keep hidden.


	6. Lover is Childlike

**A/N: **This is the start of the Finnick and Annie storyline, I hope you like it! Thank you for the reviews I've received so far :)

* * *

_Finnick's_ POV

I was still a little hung over from the party the night before, but when I finally woke up enough to sit up in bed, I had a sudden memory of what I had said to Katniss. I groaned. What would possess me to tell _Katniss_, of all people, the secret I tried to hide most from everyone I knew?

"Finnick, are you up?" There was a knock at the door and my father came in. He already had a frown on his face and it was only 11am. He sighed when he looked at me. "Another big night?"

I didn't say anything. I knew that no matter what I said, he would lecture me anyway, so I chose to say nothing. As predicted, my father began his usual rant that always went a little like this: "When are you going to take school seriously? Yale will never accept you if you continue acting this way. Partying every night is ruining your future. And when are going to settle down into a serious relationship? This business with a different girl every night is just not acceptable. You need to find a good girl from a good family if you ever want to inherit my company."

I rolled my eyes. Everyday, it was the same old speech, and after almost two years I couldn't take it anymore.

"Are you even listening to me?" My father demanded.

"I gotta go, dad." I said, getting up.

"Where are you going?"

"Swimming." I told him.

Being in the water was my only real escape from the pressure of my family and the ridiculous reputation I had as the Upper East Side's biggest player. I had always loved the water, but recently swimming laps had become a sort of therapy for me. In the water there was no father putting expectations on me, no colleges to apply for, no future to have my parents plan for me. So I had started to look for places to swim outside of the Upper East Side. I needed a break from that whole world, and finally I found peace and quiet in a small aquatic centre in Brooklyn. What I loved most about it was that no one I knew would be there, they would never be seen dead more than two blocks out of our area of the city. In Brooklyn, I wasn't Finnick Odair, father of a millionaire and known by every girl on the Upper East Side. I was just a regular guy.

When I arrived, the lap pool was almost deserted. I couldn't wait to dive into the cool water and start swimming, that was until, I looked up as saw the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was sitting up high on a lifeguard's chair, intently watching the water. She had long, dark hair and the greenest eyes I had ever seen. She was absolutely stunning.

I considered walking over to her and laying on my usual charm. I could picture it already- she would blush, twirl her hair and as soon as her shift was over I would have her back at my place and that would be that. I stopped myself, because that wasn't really me, and I knew that. Finnick Odair from the Upper East Side would act like that, but here in Brooklyn was the only place I could really be myself away from all that charm. Sure, all the girls I was with was the easiest way to rebel against my family and piss my father off, but I stopped enjoying it long ago. So I shook my head, trying to forget about the gorgeous girl, and dived into the water.

After an hour, my mind felt clearer, but as soon as I stepped out of the pool, my eyes flicked up towards the lifeguard chair. But there was someone else sitting there now, watching over the water. It was probably a good thing she was gone, she looked to gentle and sweet to be just another one of Finnick Odair's flings.

However, I as soon as I left the aquatic centre and saw the girl again, I felt my heart lurch in a way that was different from anything I had ever felt. The girl was sitting on the curb in front of the building, her head in her hands. Beside her was a blue vintage bicycle complete with a basket on the front. Looking closer, I saw that one of the tires was completely flat. When I approached her, I realised she was crying. I also realised that even though I really wanted to help her, I had no idea what to do.

"Are you ok?" I asked. My instincts were telling me to sit down beside her. They were also telling me to wrap both arms around her, so I wasn't sure if I could trust them. I decided to sit down anyway, a safe enough distant away from her.

The girl looked up at me with her big green eyes that were now puffy from tears. Even while crying she was still beautiful. "Oh yes, I'm fine." she sniffed.

"You don't look fine to me." I replied.

"Why would you say that?" she asked, and looked like she was going to cry again.

"Oh no!" I exclaimed, "Not like that, I didn't mean that you don't look _fine_, I mean you look more than fine- better! You're beautiful." I realised I was rambling. "What I meant was that you look like you need some help."

The girl stared at me. "I knew what you meant," she said, as if I was an idiot, "I was just joking."

"Right, very funny." I said, feeling relieved, "But seriously though, are you ok?"

She sighed. "No." she gestured towards her bike. "I have a flat tire but I forgot my purse at home so I don't have any change for the subway and I'm supposed to be home soon to bake a birthday cake for my aunt and nothing ever goes right and I'm just a mess right now." she spoke so quickly I could hardly keep up, but her erratic speech made me smile. At least she wasn't crying anymore. "Sorry, you probably don't care."

"I do so!" I said, acting hurt, "And it just so happens that today is your lucky day."

"How so?" she asked sarcastically.

"I happen to have some extra change in my pocket."

"Really?"

"Really." I reached into my pocket and took out the money, "That would be enough, right?"

"I can't take it, I feel bad." she said.

"Ok, how about you give me something in exchange?"

"And what would that be?" she asked suspiciously.

"How about your number?"

She laughed, "Nice try."

"Oh come on." I persisted.

"No chance."

"What about a name a least?"

She scrunched up her face in annoyance and even then she looked extremely cute. "Fine." she groaned. "I'm Annie. Annie Cresta."

"A pleasure to meet you, Annie Cresta." I could feel myself beaming. "I'm Finnick Odair."

"Nice to meet you too, _Finnick Odair_." I loved the way my name sounded in her voice.

"Well I suppose a name is something." I gestured for her to take the money in my hand, "But I'm still waiting for your number."

Annie rolled her eyes and reached out for the money. As she extended her arm towards me I noticed that she had thin red cuts covering her skin, from her wrist to her elbow. My heart dropped, they could only be from one thing. Why would such a beautiful girl want to hurt herself in such a way? It surprised me, because not only was there more to this girl than I originally thought, she intrigued me in a way I had never experienced before. However, as soon as she noticed me looking at her cuts, she drew her arm back, trying to hide it from my vision. Her cheeks flushed red and she tried not to meet my eye as she stood.

"Well, thank you!" she said hurriedly, still not looking at me properly.

Before I could apologise for staring at her arm, or even say anything to her at all, she was gone. I stayed on the curb for a few minutes after she had left, just thinking about what had happened. I'd never had a conversation with a girl that left me feeling so confused. Sure I liked her, but not in the way that I was attracted to which ever girl I was with at a party. This was a different sort of attraction, one that made me want to make her laugh and get to know everything about her. The only thing I knew for sure was that I couldn't get her name out of my head.

* * *

I got to the swimming pool at the same time I left it the day before, on the chance that maybe Annie was working the same shift as she had previously. I was in luck, and as I turned the corner to the aquatic centre, she was just leaving.

"Annie Cresta!" I said happily, trying to play it cool even though my heart was racing. "What are the chances of seeing you here?"

She stared at me. "Are you serious?"

"Of course!"

"Here for a swim then?" she asked.

"Not today." I replied, trying not to break out into a smile even though I wanted to.

"Then why are you here?"

"To take you out for coffee." I replied. I couldn't help but smile now.

"I don't think so." she said, still staring at me.

"Hey, I'm practically your hero- I _totally_ saved the day yesterday." I reminded her, "You owe me."

"I already told you my name didn't I?" she returned.

"Come on, Annie!" I begged playfully, even though in my mind I was begging for her to say yes.

"Look, thank you for the money, I really appreciate it. But I'm not interested." she said flatly.

I felt like I was loosing her, so I returned to my usual charming persona. "As if you could resist my overwhelming charm!"

Finally she laughed, "I'm guessing not a lot of girls turn you down."

"Not one." I said. "So what do you say- one coffee? You'll ruin my reputation otherwise."

"Oh well I couldn't have that." she joked. "One coffee."

I took Annie to a small café that I had found after one of my many swimming days in Brooklyn. We sat in a quiet booth sit and I was almost overwhelmed with happiness that she had really agreed to come with me. I sighed though, when the young waitress called my name and leant close to me as she took our orders. Last week she had written her number on my bill, but I never called her. As she left she giggled and gave me a wave, before flashing a threatening look at Annie.

Annie looked at me with her eyebrows raised. "So you've seriously never been turned down for a date?"

"Ok maybe just once before." I admitted, thinking back to Katniss. She too hadn't been interested, but I wasn't really asking her out. It was all part of the stupid game at school, and if I didn't try to win her over too, then one of the guys might have seen through my 'player' act. "But I didn't like her anyway."

"Do you have a habit of asking girls out you don't even like?"

I looked into her beautiful eyes, "Not anymore."

Once our coffees arrived, Annie laughed incredulously as I poured four sugar packets into my drink.

"What can I say, I like sweet things." I gave her a wink, but she only rolled her eyes.

"You know, you don't have to be so 'charming' all the time. It might work with other girls, but I think there is more to you than that."

Wow. We had only known each other a couple of hours and already Annie saw through my act unlike the people who had known me my whole life. Annie was a quiet girl, but she was very perceptive. As soon as she said that though, I realised that I hadn't actually been on many proper dates. Usually my charm was enough to get a girl into bed with me and that was it. Not often did I actually take a girl out, and I wasn't exactly sure what to say. Especially since Annie wasn't like any of the other girls, who practically melted as soon as I looked at them.

"So, Annie." I said, stirring my coffee. "Tell me about yourself."

"There isn't much to tell." Annie said, staring into her own drink.

"Come on, everyone has a story." I pressed her.

"I don't like to talk about mine." she said quietly. She looked uncomfortable and I suddenly remembered the cuts up her arm. I was lost for a moment on what to say next.

"Well." I said, regaining my composure. "Prepare yourself for the life story of Finnick Odair."

"Oh God." she rolled her eye, but laughed all the same. That was all I needed from her- a laugh. I loved the way it sounded.

I told her a little about my life on the Upper East Side- my parents, my friends, my school. It wasn't particularly interesting, but she listened all the same.

"So if you're from the Upper East Side, then why do you go swimming in Brooklyn?" she asked.

I decided to trust Annie with the truth. "I have a certain…reputation at home, which is something I try to forget about when I come here."

"Why do you want to forget it?" she asked softly.

"You were right. It's not who I really am." I told her, "But the people at home don't see that. So I put on an act." We were both quiet for a moment. "So, now I've told you my secret, you have to tell me one of yours." I continued, "I do love secrets, you know."

"Oh do you?" she laughed, but bit down on her lip as if thinking hard. "I don't really know what to say…"

I liked that Annie was careful about what she revealed to me. I was used to living in a place where everyone's private lives were practically common knowledge. It was different to meet someone so mysterious.

"Let's start with the obvious then." I smiled, "You like swimming."

"I do like swimming." she smiled back. "And so do you."

"See, we have so much in common!"

Annie laughed again. I noticed her flick her eyes towards the clock on the back wall and suddenly she looked panicked. "Oh no, I didn't realise that was the time!" she said, "I need to go."

"Really?" My heart sunk, "Why?"

"I have an appointment." she said hurriedly, digging in her purse to find the right amount of money.

"Hey, I've got this one." I told her.

"Are you sure?" she looked at me.

"Yeah." I smiled, "You can get the next one."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Thanks again Finnick, you're actually not a bad guy." She stood to leave.

"Hey Annie?" I called, "How about that number then?"

She scrunched up her face again, before reaching into her bag and pulling out a pen. I almost couldn't breathe when she leant across and wrote her phone number neatly on my hand. "Don't go swimming anytime soon then." She laughed.

I stayed at our booth for nearly ten more minutes, not wanting to leave in fear that I would loose the happy feeling I gained from our conversation. Unfortunately, my thoughts of Annie were interrupted by the flirty waitress slamming the bill down angrily on the table. Sighing, I paid, and took the subway back to my regular life.

* * *

Thankfully, both of my parents were out when I arrived back at the apartment, but Mags was sitting on the couch knitting. She gave me a knowing look as I flopped down next to her.

"Where have you been, young man?" she asked suspiciously.

"Out." I told her.

"You look funny." She stared me up and down.

"Well so do you!" I replied defensively.

"No, you look different. Happier today." She flicked her eyes towards the phone number on my hand. "Ahh, a girl."

"Not just any girl, Mags." I told her.

"Anyone I know?"

"Nope." I said, grinning. "Her name's Annie Cresta and she isn't like any girl I have ever met before."

"As in she didn't fall immediately for your _immense_ charm?" Mags asked sarcastically.

"Right again." I laughed, Mags knew me better than anyone.

I had never felt this way after meeting a girl, ever. Something about Annie captivated me. Maybe it was because she really wasn't like any of the other girls I knew. What I think I really liked about her though was that she saw through my charm and instead looked at me how I wished everyone else here would. When Annie looked at me, she saw me for me.


	7. Holy Ground

**A/N: **Thanks for the positive feedback on the Finnick and Annie storyline, it will continue next chapter :)

* * *

_Peeta's POV_

It was the last lesson of the day, calculus, and I was staring at the clock willing time to go faster. I had found out from Katniss that tomorrow was her sister's thirteenth birthday, and I was anxious to get to the bakery to bake her a surprise cake. The only problem was, I had no idea what Katniss' address was, and that meant I had to speak to Johanna, who clearly hated the entire school population. Time was still passing slowly, and the numbers written on the board in front of me started to blur together as I stared into space. I kept hearing muffled laughter from beside me, and looked across at Finnick who was texting under the table. Whoever he was talking to, some girl called 'Annie' from the looks of it, was clearly making him happy. I decided to ask him about it later as finally the bell rang for the end of the class.

I found Johanna by her locker, and she glared at me when I approached.

"What do you want?" she asked, pleasant as always.

"Do you know Katniss' address?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"Why do you want to know?" she looked at me suspiciously.

"It's a surprise."

She crossed her arms, "I don't know if I trust you, Peeta."

"Come on, please?" I was prepared to beg.

"Ugh fine, but only because I know she likes you." she wrote the address down in a torn out page of her exercise book and handed it to me.

"Thank Johanna!" I said happily. That was easier than I thought it was going to be. I wondered how much Katniss had actually said about me then.

"No worries." Her eyes narrowed. "But listen to me Peeta. If you hurt her or try at all to turn her into one of Cashmere's little clones, I swear to God I _will_ murder you."

I gulped. The scariest thing about her threat was that I actually believed her. "That's not going to happen." I reassured her, and the got the hell away from her in case she changed her mind.

* * *

Luckily, the kitchen at the bakery wasn't busy, and I was able to find a quiet corner of the room to begin baking. It didn't take long to bake the cake, but I took even more care than I usually did when icing it. I chose a white frosting to cover the cake and piped primrose flowers over it as decoration. I wasn't exactly sure what Prim would like, but I hoped it would be ok. To be honest, my main reason for making the cake was to impress Katniss of course. It was a silly idea, but maybe I could win her heart through sugary baked goods. But really, Prim was so important to Katniss that it was important for me to get to know Prim too. So two hours later, I set off for Katniss' apartment.

I had never entered Katniss' area before, and I couldn't help notice the contrast between my neighbourhood and hers. I finally completely understood just how different Katniss' world was from mine, so no wonder she hated it so much. Everyday she was surrounded by luxury and excess to return home to a place where people were hungry and broke. Again, I felt sick for ever wishing for a different life. I had everything I needed and it made me feel guilty.

Katniss' apartment was on the fifth level of a small, shabby apartment block. It looked as though the rusty old elevator had been 'Out of Order' for almost two decades, so I took the stairs to her level. The stairwell was pretty dark and had a damp smell to it. On the way, I could hear the sounds of TVs blaring, people yelling and children crying through the paper thin walls around me. Behind Katniss' door I heard nothing, and for a moment I feared that she wasn't at home. I knocked regardless, and within moments Katniss was opening the door for me.

Katniss looked at me with an entirely different expression to what I had imagined. Instead of being happy to see me, or surprised even, she looked at me with utter horror. It took me back for a moment, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. When I thought about it, Katniss had been pretty reluctant from me to come to her apartment in the past, and was hesitant to tell me much about where she lived and what her home life was like, other than when she talked about Prim.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered. She looked over her shoulder before stepping out into the hallway with me.

"Nice to see you too." I joked, trying desperately to lighten the mood that had sudden turned very dark.

"Seriously, Peeta." she continued.

I held up the box containing the cake. "You told me it was Prim's birthday tomorrow, so I baked her a cake." I explained.

I saw Katniss soften a little, and a small smile formed on her lips. "Really?" she asked, "Peeta thank you, but you didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to." I replied.

We stood in an awkard silence for a moment. I wasn't sure if she was going to invite me inside or if she wanted me to hand her the cake and leave. Before I could say anything, a small girl appeared in the doorway.

"Katniss?" she asked cautiously. She looked a little scared.

Katniss turned to her, "It's alright Prim." she said softly, "This is Peeta."

Prim quickly turned to me, looking relieved. I wondered who she had been expecting me to be.

"Hey Prim." I said, "I heard it was your birthday tomorrow, so I made you this." I handed her the box. She didn't look much like Katniss, with blonde hair and blue eyes, but she had the same determined look in her eye that told me she was a survivor.

She looked at me suspiciously before opening it. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, "This is beautiful! Just like the one's I saw with dad!"

"Do you like it?" I asked.

"I love it!" Prim said, "Thank you, Peeta."

"No worries."

Prim gave Katniss a knowing look, " "I'll say it again- it told you so."

"Told you what?" I asked Katniss, confused.

"Never mind!" Katniss said quickly. Was she blushing?

"Would you like to come in?" Prim asked me.

"I don't think that is such a good idea." Katniss said before I could reply.

"Katniss, it's ok." Prim said quietly, "She's asleep now."

"If it's not a good time, I can leave…" I said, feeling uncomfortable.

"No, no it's fine." Prim assured me, "Come on in."

I looked at Katniss and she gave me a slight smile, standing aside and letting me enter. She looked nervous and I could tell that Katniss didn't feel comfortable about me being in her apartment. It made me feel a little uncomfortable too- was I overstepping the line or did she think I would judge her? There was no way I would ever do that.

The apartment was small and dark, with a tiny kitchen and a dining table piled high with laundry and Prim's homework. I noticed that two plates were smashed on the ground by the oven, and I wondered what had happened.

"Sorry about the mess." Prim said, noticing that I was looking at it. "Sometimes our mother..." she trailed off, not sure of what to say.

Katniss had told me about her how her mother often had intense fits of grief, which could last hours. I supposed that the scene was a casualty of her most recent breakdown. It made me feel guilty again, about how difficult Katniss' life must be.

I didn't stay long, because I could sense that Katniss was fairly uncomfortable with the situation. As much as I enjoyed meeting Prim, Katniss was not having a good time. She walked me down to the ground floor of the apartment before I left.

"Hey Katniss, I'm sorry if I cross the line, coming here tonight." I said honestly.

"No, I'm sorry." Katniss replied, "I've been acting weird. It's just that I'm not used to having people other than Gale and my family in the apartment. It was kind of a bad time."

"Did something happen with your mother?"

"Yeah..." Katniss sighed. "She was screaming, throwing plates...Prim was scared that you were going to be the police, we thought that someone might have reported the noise."

I felt terrible. Katniss had so much to deal with, it wasn't fair. "Right well, I'll call in advance next time." I said.

She looked at me for a moment, "I figured that you wouldn't want to see me again after finding out where I lived."

"Why would you think that?"

"My apartment is a mess, and this neighbourhood sure isn't like the Upper East Side."

"That doesn't matter to me."

"I didn't think it mattered to me either…" she said sadly, "I guess I was a little embarrassed." she shook her head, "I hate that I was embarrassed."

My heart sank when I realised she really was scared that I would judge her. She couldn't have been more wrong though, because after witnessing Katniss and her sister together, I realised that I really didn't have everything at all. I didn't care about money or possessions, what Katniss had was so much more important- family and love.

"You don't have to be embarrassed." I told her. I wished I could tell her how I really felt, but somehow I couldn't find the right words.

"You're just saying that."

"And I definitely want to see you again." I continued, before she could say anything else.

"Oh yeah?" she challenged.

"Yeah." I took a deep breath. This was it. I had to ask her. It was now or never. "Would you like to have dinner with me this Friday?"

Katniss stared at me, obviously thinking it over in her mind. I must have caught her by surprise because she hesitated before replying. For a moment I was scared that she was going to say no.

"Are you really asking me out on a date?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, Katniss!"

A smile crept onto her face. "Pick me up at seven thirty."

Before I could say anything more, she turned and disappeared up the stairs. In true Katniss style, she had left me feeling stunned and breathless, but I couldn't help smile the rest of my way home. How could I not, the girl of my dreams just agreed to go on a date with me.

* * *

I had it all planned out. I would take Katniss to a quiet restaurant that I had been to once before with my family, and then we would take a walk around Central Park before coffee at my favourite café two blocks away. It seemed perfect, but unfortunately, none of those ideas went according to plan.

I tried to avoid my brothers for most of the afternoon, because I knew they would want to cause trouble if they knew I was going on a date. It was like their main source of entertainment was watching me suffer. I thought I had escaped any teasing or interrogation as I approached the elevators, however, suddenly Wyatt stopped me. He stood in front of the elevator doors, not letting me leave until I told him what he wanted to know.

"Hey little brother, where are you going?" he asked, smirking.

"A date." I replied. It was better to be honest straight away, I had learned that the hard way.

"A date?" he was surprised, "With who?"

Before I could answer, my mother appeared and I tensed up. "You're going out tonight?" she asked in a sharp voice.

"Yes." I told her, not meeting her eye.

"Don't be out late- I want you to come in and work tomorrow too and I don't want you making any mistakes, you hear me?"

I sighed. "Fine, I'll see you later."

When I finally arrived outside Katniss' apartment, I found her sitting on the curb playing with the strap of her handbag. I slowed my pace down for a moment to take it all in. She looked absolutely breath taking in a flowing red dress and her hair down passed her shoulders.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." I said to her when I approached.

"I was beginning to think you'd stood me up." she replied, standing up.

"I'm not that late, am I?" I was concerned that she really was upset.

"Relax, I was only joking." she smiled, "Something tells me you're not the kind of guy that would do that."

"Especially not to you." I said.

One condition of our date, made clear by Katniss, was that there would be no limousines invovled. So we took the subway to the restaurant that overlooked Central Park. It was apparent very quickly that the 'quiet' atmosphere that I was hoping for was never going to happen. A rowdy group beside us ordered more and more drinks as the night progressed, and got louder too.

"Heeeey." One man said to Katniss in a slurred voice, "Are you kids on a daaaate?"

"Awwww how cute!" crooned the woman beside him. "Look at the lovebirds over here!"

Katniss looked at me, visibly uncomfortable with the entire table now looking at us, but I was at a loss for what to do.

I was relieved when our waiter appeared with drinks for Katniss and I. However, the man closest to our table reached out at the same moment, accidently knocking into the waiter. As if in slow motion I watched the waiter wobble, the tray of drinks shift and the drinks spill all over my white shirt.

"I am so sorry!" the waiter exclaimed, flushing bright red. "Let me get you another."

"No, it's fine." I replied, starting to mop up some of the drinks with my napkin. "Maybe we could just get the bill?"

All I wanted was to get Katniss and myself out of that place and away from the group of people at the table beside us. I felt more relaxed as we stepped out into the cool night air.

"I'm really sorry, Katniss." I said sadly, "I didn't think it would be like that."

"Don't worry Peeta." To my surprise, she started to giggle, which I had never heard her do before.

"What are you laughing at?" I asked, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Come on, it was pretty funny!" she laughed.

"Well you're not the one with a drink spilled all over you, are you?" I replied, pretending to be hurt.

"Aww, poor baby." she mocked me, "I hope it doesn't cost too much to get it cleaned."

Laughing, I rolled my eyes and put my arm around her.

"So where to next?" she asked.

"Central Park?" I suggested, hoping to salvage at least some of the date that I had planned.

However, it turned out that Central Park wasn't the best idea either. We walked through the park for a few minutes, before stopping to sit on a park bench. For a moment we were quiet, just watching others walk by us.

"Peeta, can I ask you something?" Katniss said quietly.

"Of course." I replied.

"Why me?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"You could have any of the girls at school…" she didn't meet my eye when she spoke.

It surprised me how vulnerable Katniss appeared. She always seemed so sure of herself and I never expected her to ever feel self conscious, firstly about her apartment and now about my feelings towards her. There was so much more to Katniss beyond her confident demeanour, and I realised just how badly I wanted to properly understand her.

"Katniss, I don't want any of those other girls." I told her honestly. Looking into her eyes I could see that she still wasn't sure, so I decided to tell her what I had been thinking about since the day I met her. The reason I liked her so much was because she wasn't like any of the other girls at school, and I had been waiting for so long to find someone who wanted more than money and a good reputation. "The truth is, I've never really liked the world I come from- all the money and the parties and the private cars…I went along with it anyway because what else could I do?" I looked at her, "Until I met you, and you made me see that it didn't always have to be like that." I wasn't sure I explained that well enough, but she seemed to understand.

"I knew you were different." she said softly.

"Different?"

"When I first met you, I thought you were just like the rest of them. I hated that I liked you anyway because I didn't want to like anything about your world." she took a deep breath, "But I couldn't help it."

"You like me?" I said, a smile creeping onto my face.

"Maybe." she said with a cheeky grin.

"As in, _like_ like me?" I joked.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, you idiot."

I laughed. That was more like Katniss. "Well luckily for you, Katniss, I _like_ like you too."

I knew this was the right moment to kiss her, and even though my heart was beating at one hundred miles an hour, I slowly leant towards her. Her eyes closed gently as I pressed my lips to hers. Finally, the moment I had been waiting so long for. We broke away and I could tell that I was grinning like crazy, but so was she. I went to lean in again, and that was when I felt the first drop of rain. I looked up, and with in seconds rain started to pour heavily down on us.

I groaned. Great, another part of the date ruined. However, Katniss only laughed. She grabbed my hand and we ran through the park together and I couldn't help but laugh too. We must have looked ridiculous, laughing and running hand in hand to escape the rain, all while I still had a huge stain on the front of my shirt. To get out of the rain, we ducked into the entrance to the subway and stopped, panting and out of breath.

"Do you want to go back to my place?" Katniss asked.

I smiled. Only a few days ago Katniss hated the thought of me seeing where she lived. I took it as a good sign that she was letting me go back into her apartment. "Sure."

As we waited for the subway, I noticed that Katniss was shivering.

"I would offer you my jacket, but…" I trailed off. We were both completely drenched, our clothes soaking wet.

Katniss started to laugh again. I had never heard her laugh so much before, and I loved the way it sounded. Even though her hair was dripping wet and her mascara was running slightly, she looked completely happy.

I kept her hand in mine the whole journey on the subway and through the streets to her apartment. Luckily, it had stopped raining and we managed to dry off a little. Prim was surprised when Katniss knocked on the door.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. She looked at both of us before bursting out laughing, "You look awful!"

"Thanks, Prim." Katniss said, rolling her eyes and pushing passed her little sister.

Prim got us towels to dry ourselves off with, and Katniss made hot chocolates for us all before we collapsed on the couch, exhausted. We spent the rest of the night watching some rom com that Prim wanted to watch and Katniss absolutely hated. I loved how close the two of them were, even though they were completely different. As the credits rolled, we were all yawning and sleepy.

"I should probably go." I said, cautious not to make my mother angry again by staying out too late.

"I'll walk you out." Katniss replied sleepily.

In the corridor, we looked at each other for a moment before I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her again, not wanting to part from her for even a second.

"I'm sorry this date didn't go exactly to plan." I said quietly.

"Well it's definitely one I'll never forget!" Katniss laughed. "We should do it again some time."

"Oh, I absolutely agree." I said softly, giving her one last kiss before we said goodnight.

I left the apartment wanting to run, or jump or dance or do something else just as embarrassing. Everything was finally working out, and not even my mother could ruin how good I felt.


	8. Lovesick

_Finnick's POV_

It was Friday night and I was home, lying on my bed feeling sorry for myself. I had spent most of the afternoon moping around my room, not sure of what to do. Even _Peeta_ had a date tonight, with Katniss, of all girls. I had been invited to a party, but since meeting Annie I couldn't bring myself to go, I couldn't stand to put on that act any longer. All I could think about was her, and how badly I wanted to see her again. At the same time, I was terrified that she wouldn't want to see me. I couldn't stand the thought of loosing her so soon after she had shown me how good it could feel to finally escape my reputation on the Upper East Side.

Dragging myself out of my room, I decided to talk to Mags, because no matter what, she always knew what to do. In her small room, she was sitting at her desk playing solitaire with a deck of old, worn cards.

"Maaaaaags." I moaned.

"Yes, child?" Mags said, not looking up from her game.

I flopped down on her bed. "I don't feel right."

"How so?" Mags turned to me.

"I don't want to go out, I don't want to do anything." I looked at her, "And I can't stop thinking about Annie."

"Ahhhh." said Mags knowingly. "I know what's wrong with you."

"Mmmhmmmm?" Mentioning Annie had made me think about her again. Her laugh, her eyes...

"You're lovesick." Mags interrupted my thoughts.

"Finnick Odair is not love sick." I argued.

"I'm afraid you are, young man." Mags said matter-of-factly.

I sighed. She was probably right. Mags was always right. "What do I dooooo?" I wailed.

"Call her!" Mags said, sounding exasperated.

"I can't."

"Why, you've been texting her all week!"

"That's different." I told her.

"You're making excuses." Mags crossed her arms. "You want to ask her out but you're scared."

"I am not scared!" I argued, but even as I said it I knew it wasn't true. "Ok, maybe I am a little scared..."

"The infamous Finnick Odair, scared to ask a girl on a date." Mags mused, "That story could just about make front page news around here."

"Very funny." I rolled my eyes. "So what do I do?"

"Call her and ask her out!"

"But what if she says no?"

"Well she's already said yes once!"

"But that wasn't really a _date_ date..."

"Finnick Odair." she used the same voice she used to when I was being naughty as a child. "Pick up the phone and call Annie. Or I will."

I groaned. "Okay okay, I'll call her. But if she says no I'm blaming you."

I paced around my room several times, staring at my phone screen before I finally worked up the courage to call Annie. It rang four times before I heard her sweet voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey." she said softly.

I suddenly forgot how to speak. No words were coming to my mind at all.

"Finnick?" she asked, "Are you there? I can hear you breathing!"

"Wouldyouliketogoonadatewithme?" I said it so fast I had to take a deep breath straight afterwards.

"What?" Annie asked, but I could hear a laugh in her voice. "Didn't quite catch that!"

"Don't make me ask you again." I moaned.

"Ask me what?" Annie laughed.

"Ughhh, you're killing me." I couldn't help but laugh too. "So will you?"

"Okay."

"Okay?" I replied with disbelief. "Just _okay_?"

"Yes Finnick, I will go on a date with you!" she laughed.

"Great!" I exclaimed. I realised I should probably play it cooler. "I mean, yeah, that's cool."

I could tell that Annie was rolling her eyes by the way she laughed.

"Could I pick you up at 12pm?" I continued.

"Yeah, that's cool." Annie said, mimicking my tone.

I laughed again. "Okay Annie, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Finnick." she said sweetly.

I practically bounded back into Mags' room, and I couldn't stop myself from grinning widely.

"She said yes, she said yes, she said yes!" I exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"I told you, Finnick." Mags tried to be serious, but she was smiling too.

"I owe it all to you, Mags." I joked.

"So where are you going to take her?"

I stopped dead in my tracks. I had completely forgotten that I actually needed to plan something for Annie and I to do. I tried to think. Lunch was too average, I wanted something that Annie would never forget. The problem was, I hardly knew anything about her, other than the fact that she liked to swim. Suddenly it came to me. "We'll go to the beach at Coney Island!"

Mags stared at me, "Finnick, _my_ first date was at Coney Island and you're always reminding me how old I am."

"Well can you think of anything better?"

Mags was silent. She was right of course, maybe Coney Island was past it's glory days, but the beach was perfect and I knew that Annie would like it.

"Coney Island it is!" I exclaimed.

When I tried to sleep that night, I found that it took me hours before I finally drifted off. I wondered if Annie's night was as sleepless as mine, and if she was as excited as I was for the morning.

* * *

It took me five minutes of staring at the apartment buzzer before I finally had the courage to press the button for Annie's apartment. She appeared moments later, and everything I had planned to say to her disappeared out of my head. I couldn't get over how pretty she was, wearing a light floral dress and a collection of colourful string bracelets around her wrists.

"Finnick?" she asked, breaking through my thoughts. I snapped my eyes up to look at her face, and she was giving me a quizzical look. "Are you alright?"

I offered her my arm. "Better now to be in your presence."

She rolled her eyes but took my arm in hers all the same. "So, where are we going?"

"Coney Island!"

"Seriously?" she didn't look impressed. "I haven't been there since I was five years old!"

"All the more reason to go back!" I said, trying to sell it to her, "I thought you might like the beach."

She smiled at me sweetly. "I love the beach."

"Another thing we have in common!" I smiled, "You know, once when I was in the ocean, a sea turtle swam off with my hat."

"That did not happen!" she argued.

"It did, I sware!"

I told her the story on the way on the subway, and we spent the journey sharing stories of beachside days. I loved hearing her talk about her life, but I felt as though there was sadness in her voice and eyes as she spoke about how her father used to throw her high into the air and catch her again while they were in the ocean. She stopped speaking after that, and started to play with the string bracelets around her wrists as if trying to distract herself from what she was thinking about.

"Are you ok?" I asked. She didn't hear me, and I was scared that something was very wrong. "Annie?"

Suddenly she seemed to snap out of it and she looked up at me. "Sorry." she said softly, "Sometimes I get kind of lost in my mind."

Lost in her mind. I liked that expression, but I felt as though there was much more to it than she was telling me. I didn't want to press her for information, but I hoped she would tell me in her own time.

Luckily, it was a nice day when we stepped off the subway and started to walk along the Coney Island boardwalk. To our right, rides roared passed us and children were laughing and squealing, and to our left waves lapped at the sandy shore and seagulls circled over head.

"Where to first?" I asked her.

"How about that?" Annie pointed to the iconic wooden rollercoaster.

"The Cyclone?" I gulped, "Are you sure?"

"What, are you scared it's going to mess up your hair?" Annie mocked me.

I rolled my eyes, "Let's go."

The best part about being on the rollercoaster was Annie's reaction to it. Her laughter rang out into the air and she smiled widely as we went through the dips and turns of the ride. At the end, she looked at me with bright eyes, "Let's go again!"

"Oh, so this place isn't so lame anymore?" I teased.

"I never said it was lame!" Annie argued, as we took our seats in the ride again.

After we had ridden the Cyclone another time, we walked along the boardwalk sharing cotton candy. Annie looked so cute, so unbelievably cute, taking a bite of the pink cotton candy, her hair windswept from the ride. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I stopped myself. I wanted to take things slower with Annie. She wasn't like the other girls I had been with, when all either of us wanted was a quick fling. Annie was too sweet, too lovely for that, and I was terrified that I would scare her off. I wanted her to know that I wasn't going to treat her like any of the girls in the past, because that wasn't who I was. Annie was giving me a chance to finally be the real Finnick, and it was the greatest feeling in the entire world. There was no way I could loose her.

I realised that she had caught me staring at her again, and she was looking at me with her eyebrows raised.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked.

I must have been smiling way too widely, but I just couldn't help it. "You."

She groaned, but her smile widened too.

I felt like I had way too much energy- I wanted to jump up and down or pick her up and spin her around and I almost thought I was going to explode. I couldn't help myself, so I quickly kissed her on the cheek. I supposed it was better than nothing. She blushed faintly before biting her lip as if trying to contain her smile.

"Come on, let's go down to the water." I suggested.

We jumped off the boardwalk and kicked off our shoes. Suddenly, Annie looked at me with a cheeky grin on her face.

"Race you!" Annie exclaimed, and took off down the beach.

She was fast, and even though I wasn't a bad runner, I couldn't catch up. Maybe she felt like she had too much energy too. When we reached the ocean, Annie turned to me, beaming.

"I do believe that I am the winner!" she said triumphantly.

"Not fair, you cheated." I pretended to pout.

Annie ran further into the ocean until it reached her ankles. She started to spin around in the circle, laughing, with her arms stretched out to the sky. I couldn't help but watch her, she looked so beautiful. When she stopped, she had a smile on her face that made me feel like maybe she hadn't smiled like that in a long time.

"Let's sit." she said.

Just as we sat down next to each other at the edge of the water, I heard someone call my name.

"Finnick Odair, never thought I'd see you here!" A shrill voice said, coming closer.

I tried not to groan as I realised who it was. A girl from a party last month, I couldn't remember her name, who I never called back. This was not good timing. "I could say the same thing to you!" I tried to act normally but inside I was screaming at her to leave me alone. There was no way she was going to ruin this date for me.

"What have you been up to?" she said, twirling her hair, "You never called me back!" Suddenly she seemed to notice Annie. "Oh, you're on a date…I'll leave you to it." She looked very unimpressed as she turned and left.

I looked at Annie, and she had a distant look in her eye, almost as if she wasn't really paying attention to reality at all. This is what I feared most, that Annie would see what my life at home was really like and not want anything to do with me. For the few hours that we had spent together I could almost forget about my real life, and I had felt more free and content than I ever had before.

"Annie?" I asked cautiously. "I'm sorry about that."

"That's ok." she said, even though I knew that it wasn't.

We were silent for a moment, until Annie spoke again. "Finnick, can you promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Please don't mess me around."

"Annie, I would never…" I tried to say.

"Just hear me out ok?" she interrupted, "Because no one has ever taken any interest in me before, and I don't want to let myself get close to you if you're just going to get bored of me in a couple of days." she spoke quickly, as if all of the things she was worried about were just rushing out of her mouth. "It's just that I'm pretty messed up at the moment, and I'm scared that if I let you in and you leave then I won't be able to handle it. That it will just tip me over the edge, you know?" She looked up at me, completely serious.

"And then what?" I asked breathlessly. It was as if all the oxygen in the world had suddenly been sucked away with her words and I felt immense pressure on my chest.

"I don't want to think about it."

My mind was racing with what she was saying, and it hurt to think that this beautiful, lively girl was living so close to the edge. I wondered what went on in her mind, but more than that, I wanted to be the one to give her hope, just like she had given me. "You won't ever have to think about it." I said sincerely. "I promise you Annie, I'll stick around for as long as you want me to."

"Really?" she asked softly.

"Really." I pulled her into my arms and stroked her hair as she rested her head on my chest. We were quiet for a moment, but what she told me was still burning in my mind. "Annie?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, Finnick?"

"What happened to you?" It was a simple question, but the words felt heavy as I spoke. She knew exactly what I meant, and as soon as I said it she pulled away. At first I thought it was because I had pushed her too far and she wanted to leave, but I realised she was looking into my eyes to find the courage to tell me. "I mean, you don't have to tell me." I started to say quickly, "I just thought maybe…"

"I can tell you." Annie said, sounding confident, "I just don't talk about it that much, but it's good for me, to put it into words."

I was so relieved that she was going to trust me, because I could tell how hard it was for her to find the right words.

She looked out into the ocean as she finally began to speak again. "My parents died when I was fifteen. It was a car accident- we were all in the car together. I survived, but I watched them die...right in front of me. I couldn't save them." she shuddered at the memory, but she kept her voice strong, as if willing herself to get through it.

I could feel my heart breaking already, but I knew that there was more to Annie's story.

"I went to live with my aunt and uncle, and they thought I was coping, but I wasn't." she continued, taking a deep breath. "Every night I replayed the accident over and over in my head, and all day I could hear my mother's screams and the see the look of terror in my father's eyes…" she glanced down and started to play with her bracelets again.

As I watched her, I could see the cuts covering her soft skin again, and I felt sick to imagine Annie doing that to herself.

"Hurting myself was the only way to make it stop. I kept it hidden from everyone." She paused for a moment. "But one day I couldn't take it anymore and told my aunt. I've been in therapy ever since." She had tears in her eyes when she stopped speaking. "So that's my secret. You think I'm crazy, right?"

"I think you're the bravest person I have ever met." I told her honestly.

I looked into her eyes and I couldn't take it any more. I wasn't sure I'd be able to explain my feelings towards her properly enough with words, so that she would be able to understand. I was usually so smooth with my words and knew exactly what to say to a girl, but Annie was different. She made me nervous and utterly unable to form proper sentences when she looked at me with a smile on her face. But I needed her to know that I wasn't going to hurt her, because Mags was right, I was completely lovesick over the thought of her and there was no way I was going to let a girl as good as Annie go.

I had never felt this nervous before as I leant in and kissed her softly. I pulled back, because I wasn't sure how she would react, but I saw a small smile form on her lips. To my surprise, she was the one who began our second kiss. I had never experienced anything like that before, where I actually felt something while kissing a girl. It was so good, so impossibly good, and I almost never wanted the day to end.

In the end, the waves interrupted us, as the water started to lap at our feet as the tide came in. Annie laughed, digging her toes into the wet sand, before resting her head on my chest once again.

"I think you're going to be good for me." she said softly.

I stroked her hair. "I think you're going to be good for me too."

The perfect end to a perfect day, Annie and I walked hand in hand across the boardwalk as the sun began to set. I kept hold of her hand on the subway and didn't let go until I said goodbye to her at her doorstep. As soon as I let go, I felt cold and empty, and I knew I couldn't wait until her hand was in mine once again.

* * *

On Sunday, I spent most of the day moping around the house, not sure of what to do with myself. I wanted desperately to see Annie again, but at the same time I didn't want to come on too strong. Since our date, I felt like a totally different person. She made me realise that I could be myself and still live in the world that I did, but I needed her to be with me so that I could.

In the afternoon, Mags finally got sick of me lying around feeling sorry for myself, and ordered me to go and visit Peeta at work. His brownies always cheered me up.

"Hey buddy." Peeta said when I appeared in the kitchen.

The kitchen was kind of our 'go to' place when we needed to talk about anything serious, so he wasn't surprised to see me.

"Hey." I said glumly, sitting up on the bench beside him.

"You don't sound so happy." Peeta observed, mixing chocolate batter in a bowl.

"Are you making brownies?" I asked.

"You bet." Peeta smiled.

"Excellent."

"So something is wrong."

"Yes." I moaned, "I met a girl and it's killing me."

Peeta stopped what he was doing and stared at me. "Should I be worried?"

"She makes me want to write poetry." I continued mournfully.

"Write _poetry_?" Peeta asked incredulously, "Oh man, now I am worried about you."

"Ughhhh." I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "I can't talk about her. I'll go crazy."

"Here." Peeta handed me the bowl of leftover brownie mix and I immediately stared to lick it up with my finger. "What should we talk about instead?"

"Well how was _your_ date?"

"It didn't go exactly to plan…a bit of a disaster really, but memorable to say the least." I could tell that Peeta was trying not to smile.

"Did you kiss her?"

"Yeah." Peeta said, smiling widely now.

"So is she your…girlfriend?"

Peeta looked at me. "I don't know, maybe?"

"You want her to be though."

"Well do you want your mystery girl to be _your_ girlfriend?"

It was a strange thing to think about, Annie Cresta being my girlfriend…and me being her boyfriend. I had never been a boyfriend before and that thought kind of terrified me. I was lost in thought when Peeta joined me on the bench, scooping up some more of the mixture from the bowl.

"We are so pathetic right now." Peeta said glumly.

"I know, right?" I replied, equally as sad.

The oven beeped and Peeta took out the fresh batch of brownies. Even though thinking about Annie was driving me crazy, at least I had Peeta's brownies to cheer me up until I could see her again.


	9. You're the One that I Want

_Katniss' POV_

To be honest, I was dreading school on Monday morning. It wasn't that I didn't want to see Peeta again, it was just that I didn't know where we stood with each other after our date. Was he my boyfriend? I had no idea. Did he want me to sit with his friends at lunch, or hold his hand in the hallways like I saw other couples do? Or would he act like nothing had happened between us? I was sure that we couldn't act like we were just friends, because surely we were more than that now, but the whole situation was confusing and I didn't know what to do.

The other problem of course, was that I had no idea whether I even wanted Peeta to be my boyfriend in the first place. When I told that to Prim, she looked at me like I was an idiot.

"Of course you do, Katniss!" she exclaimed.

"And how would you know?" I argued.

"Because you haven't been this happy in ages- and I saw the way you two were looking at each other." Prim grinned.

I groaned. She was right, Peeta did make me happy, but he also made me confused. "This wasn't supposed to happen." I moaned. "I wasn't supposed to like someone from the Upper East Side. I was supposed to go to school, get into college and forget all about that place."

"But it _did_ happen Katniss! You just have to accept it." Prim continued, crossing her arms, "You like Peeta. Yes, he's from the Upper East Side, but you know that he's different from everyone there."

"I know, I know." I sighed, "It's just complicated, alright?"

"Ughhh, you are so stubborn!" Prim exclaimed.

"Whatever." I said, "I've got to go to school."

"Say hi to Peeta for me!" Prim mocked, making a kissing face as I left the apartment.

In the end, I didn't see Peeta all through the morning, or at lunch. As I waited for Johanna at our usual lunch spot, I scanned the courtyard looking for him, but I couldn't see Peeta anywhere.

"Looking for lover boy?" Johanna smirked as she sat down.

"Have you seen him today?" I asked, "I think he's avoiding me."

"Relax." Johanna said lightly, "Was the date bad or something?"

"No, well I mean…it was okay?" I didn't know how to describe it to her.

"Okay?" Johanna raised her eye brows, "More information please."

I told her exactly what happened during our date, and she couldn't help but laugh throughout.

"Wow, at least it's one you'll never forget!" she joked.

"That's what I said." I replied.

"So why do you think he's avoiding you?"

"Maybe he doesn't want to see me again."

"I highly doubt that." Johanna said.

"Ughhh." I groaned, my head in my hands. "I hate that I care so much."

"Look, I know this is going against everything I said to you when we first met, and everything I believe in entirely, now that I think about it..." she looked at me, "But I think you can hate everything about this world but still like Peeta."

"You think so, do you?" I asked sarcastically.

"As much as it pains me to say so, yes." she groaned. "I still don't like him though."

"You should get to know him first." I suggested, even though I already knew her answer.

"Maybe I'll just take your word for it."

At the end of the school day, I decided to get over myself and look for Peeta, seeing as he clearly wasn't trying to find me. I still couldn't find him though, but I did find Finnick standing by his own locker, packing his bag. Rolling my eyes, I prepared myself to speak to him.

"Finnick." I said, appearing next to him.

"Katniss! What a surprise." he said. He was eating a slice of brownie which I was sure was made by Peeta.

"Where's Peeta?"

"I have no idea, probably hiding out in the bathroom." Finnick replied casually.

"Why?"

"He's been worried about what to say to you all day." Finnick rolled his eyes, "Freaking out that you don't want to see him again."

"Are you serious?" I asked, feeling relieved.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you that." Finnick said quickly.

"Not so good at keeping secrets anymore then?" I joked. He looked alarmed, and I suddenly realised he must have thought I was also referring to our conversation at the party the other week. "Well lucky for you, I'm pretty good at secrets." I tried to reassure him, "I won't tell Peeta."

He seemed to understand what I was saying, and nodded his head. However, as I turned to walk away, he called me back. He pointed behind me, and that is when I saw Peeta standing at the end of the hall.

"The star crossed lovers are reunited at last." Finnick commentated. He leant against his locker and took another bite of his brownie as if preparing for some quality entertainment. I rolled my eyes as I walked towards Peeta.

"Hey." I said, hardly meeting his eye.

"Hey yourself." Peeta replied sweetly.

We stood in an awkward silence for a moment, and I had no idea what to say.

"I didn't mean to avoid you." Peeta began, "I just didn't really know what to say to you."

"Well have you thought of something yet?" I joked.

He smiled. "I have actually!"

"Okay, let's hear it."

Peeta pretended to clear this throat, breaking out into another smile. "I had a really great time with you, Katniss, and I definitely want to see you again." He looked at me, "I guess things could be a little complicated, so why don't we just take it from here and see what happens?"

"I'd like that." I told him honestly. The pressure of putting a label on whatever it was Peeta and I were was almost too much for me, and it was relief for him to suggest just taking things slowly. "So, about seeing me again?"

Peeta laughed. "Well, there's this Halloween party on this weekend, I thought you might like to go with me. I know it's not really your thing, but we had a good time last time, right?"

"Right." I smiled, "That sounds great."

We looked at each other for a moment, and I was feeling a little awkward again. Quickly, Peeta leant in and kissed me once. I blushed a little, until I heard the sound of a slow clap coming from further up the hall. I turned to see Finnick still standing by his locker, an amused look on his face. I rolled my eyes as I walked away, but inside I was beaming.

* * *

Gale was sitting on the curb outside our apartment when I arrived home from school.

"Hey, Catnip." he said. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

That was true. In between travelling to and from school, spending time with Peeta, going to work and all the studying I had been doing, Gale and I had hardly spent any time together. I missed him terribly, but at the same time I was scared to tell him that I was actually enjoying The Capitol School. Gale was more bitter about the divide between our neighbourhood and the Upper East Side than I was, and I wasn't sure how he would feel if I was to tell him it wasn't actually as bad as I thought. I also had the feeling he wouldn't be too impressed about the date I had with Peeta, but it wasn't as if Gale had ever given any indication that he liked me more than a friend. I still sensed it was going to be a difficult subject to bring up.

"I know, right?" I said, sitting down next to him. "How have you been?"

"Yeah not to bad, working hard I suppose." he smiled, "What about you?"

"Been pretty busy with school and work." I replied.

We were quiet for a moment, which felt strange. I used to feel like I could say anything I liked to Gale, but now I wasn't so sure.

"Oh, just a heads up." Gale began, breaking the silence. "I think we should keep an eye on Rory and Prim. I think Rory might have a little crush."

"Seriously?" I said. As cute as it was, there was no way I could imagine my little year old sister dating. I suddenly thought ahead to the future. "Imagine if they got married- then we really would be family." I laughed.

"How weird would it be if we got married too!" Gale joked.

I laughed, even though his comment made me uncomfortable. Did Gale really think about marrying me?

"So, Halloween's coming up." Gale continued as if he hadn't said anything of great importance. "Ready to trick or treat?"

My stomach dropped. I had completely forgotten about trick or treating this year. It had become kind of a tradition of Gale and I to take our siblings trick or treating in the neighbourhood, and then get dinner at a small diner a few blocks down. It was something we all looked forward to, but there was no way that I could do that and go to the party with Peeta. I needed to make a choice, and even though I knew I should continue the tradition, what I really wanted was to spend more time with Peeta.

"Oh." I said slowly, "I actually got invited to go to a party." I tried not to meet his eye.

"A party?" Gale asked, "Why would you want to go to party with all those people, I thought you hated them."

"I do!" I said, "Well, most of them."

"Who are you going with?"

"Just a guy."

"_Just a guy?" _Gale repeated incredulously. "Is he your boyfriend?"

I hesitated before saying, "No." I realised that the flaw in the idea of not labelling my relationship with Peeta was that it was impossible to explain to people. Especially to Gale, who I could tell was upset.

"Whatever, Katniss." Gale said coldly, standing to leave, "I hope you have a good time."

I sighed, I knew that Gale would react badly. Maybe I should just cancel my plans with Peeta, but I knew that really, I didn't want to do that.

* * *

I was still feeling bad about the way the conversation with Gale ended as I got ready for the Halloween party. It had taken me forever to figure out what to wear, especially since Peeta had told me people tended to go all out for costumes. In the end I settled for Sandy from Grease, and Peeta had agreed to go as Danny.

"Are you going to be okay without me?" I asked Prim as we got ready together.

"For the last time- yes!" Prim exclaimed.

"Alright ok!" I laughed, "Just checking."

I watched her for a moment, as she did her hair. She was dressed as a cat, but even in the cute outfit she looked more mature than she ever had before.

"Soooo." I said, "How's Rory these days?"

Prim shot me an unimpressed look. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason…" I said smiling, "It's just that Gale said-"

"Gale said nothing!" Prim interrupted, "You better go or you're going to be late."

"Nice try little sister, but you teased me so now it's my turn."

She was about to reply, when there was a knock at the door. "That will be Gale and Rory!" she said quickly, "I'll see you later, Katniss."

"Have a good time!" I called, smiling.

Prim opened the door and greeted Rory immediately with a hug, before looking back to me with wide eyes in case I'd seen her. I shook my head, smiling at her. She really was growing up. I glanced across at Gale, who was dressed as a cowboy, but he didn't return the smile I gave him.

Sighing again, I got ready to meet Peeta at his apartment. I rode the subway feeling pretty self conscious of myself in my costume, but, as Peeta had told me, everyone on the Upper East Side really did spare no expense at their costumes. Most took the night as an excuse to wear as little as possible, except surprisingly, Finnick Odair.

I had only just arrived at Peeta's apartment, and was about to compliment his perfect Danny hairstyle, when the elevator doors opened and Finnick and a girl I hadn't met before stepped out.

"Finnick kind of invited himself over." Peeta whispered with a smile. "I think he takes pleasure in making things awkward for us."

After speaking to Finnick a few times now, I knew there was more to him that what he showed at school, but even I was surprised by how differently he was acting. Finnick was dressed as Mickey Mouse, and despite looking pretty ridiculous with ears and a drawn on black nose, he couldn't stop smiling. He was holding tightly onto the hand of the girl, who was dressed as Minnie Mouse. If I had never seen Finnick before, I wouldn't think twice about how cute the two of them looked together, but it was so strange to see the charming, uncommitted Finnick so happily holding hands with a girl.

"So this is your mystery girl!" Peeta exclaimed.

"Not so secret anymore!" Finnick said, meeting my eye, "This is Annie. Annie, this is Katniss and Peeta- they're together but not really."

"Well that's one way of explaining it." Peeta laughed, "Nice to meet you, Annie."

"You too! Nice costumes, by the way." Annie said sweetly.

"Thanks, Annie." Peeta looked around, "Should we get going?"

"Oh, we aren't going to the party tonight." Finnick said.

"Then why are you here?" Peeta asked.

"Couldn't pass up the opportunity to make you two feel uncomfortable." Finnick winked at me, "Besides, I wanted you to meet Annie."

"Wow, I never thought I'd see _Finnick Odair_ pass up the opportunity to go to a party." I joked.

"It will cause quite the scandal, let me tell you." Finnick replied in mock seriousness. "My reputation is seriously slipping, I'm definitely behind on my make out quota for the night."

"I better help you out then." Annie joked.

As if Peeta and I were no longer standing in front of them, they leapt at each other, kissing as if it was the last chance they had to do so. I looked at Peeta awkwardly for a moment, and he returned an uncomfortable look. Annie broke away, laughing, her cheeks turning red.

"Sorry about that folks." Finnick said, not embarrassed at all.

"So why aren't you guys going tonight?" I asked.

"I think you two getting together will cause enough gossip to spread around the school, and I think I'd like to keep out of the spotlight anyway." Finnick explained.

"The spotlight?" I said sarcastically.

"Yes, I am officially retiring from The Capitol School's number one heart throb." He looked at Peeta, "Jobs all yours my friend, I'm a changed man." He grinned at Annie.

So I was right about Finnick. His charming demeanour was all an act, and the way in which he held Annie's hand tightly showed that he was so much more than what everyone thought of him at school. However, as I looked at the way their fingers were intertwined, I noticed the red cuts extending up Annie's forearm. I was beginning to think that Finnick wasn't actually a bad guy, but I still silently wished that he would treat Annie well.

Finnick looked at his phone, "Well look at the time. We better get going if we're going to get enough candy before they give it all away."

Annie rolled her eyes. "You are _such_ a child."

"Hey, this is the one night of the year where I don't have to buy candy myself." He looked at her with mock seductiveness, "And you know how much I love sweet things." Finnick kissed her again and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Well anyway, guess I'll see you two later." Finnick said, "Don't get up to too much trouble."

It was Peeta's turn to roll his eyes, "Bye Finnick." he said, "Nice to meet you, Annie."

"You too Peeta, bye Katniss." Annie said gently.

As soon was the elevator doors closed, Peeta and I turned to each other in a stunned silence.

"That was…" Peeta began.

"Unexpected?" I replied, still pretty surprised.

"You're telling me." Peeta said, equally as shocked. "Should we go?"

I nodded, still processing what had happened.

Finnick was right about the all the rumours our date had started. I could hear people whispering to each other as Peeta and I walked hand in hand through the mass of people at the party, and I was beginning to feel worse and worse as we went. I knew that it was only going to be worse once we went back to school for the week.

"Listen, don't worry about them." Peeta said softly, pulling me closer as we started to dance.

I wished I could take his advice, but as we danced I caught Cashmere's eye over his shoulder. Although it was only for a second, I could tell she was glaring at me, her arms crossed angrily.

I thought back to the threat she had made to me during my first week of school, and suddenly it made sense. She didn't want me to be with Peeta, yet there I was, dancing with him for the whole year level to see. I wasn't sure whether she was serious with what she suggested, but I decided not to let it ruin the great time I was having with Peeta. I would worry about it tomorrow.


	10. One in the Same

_Peeta's POV_

I realised pretty quickly that Finnick was completely right about the gossip surrounding Katniss and myself. In the weeks that followed, my relationship, or whatever it was I had with Katniss, had become the main topic of conversation in the hallways at school. People looked, people judged, and they wondered why I would choose to date Katniss, the girl on the scholarship, instead of any of the other girls.

I was used to the way rumours went around the Upper East Side, and I knew that eventually things would die down and a new subject would take its place. However, Katniss was completely new to this world, and I could tell that it was more difficult for her.

She hated the attention, and couldn't stand having people gossip about us. It was seriously damaging the case I was building to Katniss that not everyone in this place was as bad as she thought. I could see that she was trying not to let all the rumours get to her, but I wasn't sure how many more rude remarks Katniss could take from Cashmere before she snapped.

So, like Finnick and Annie had decided to do, Katniss and I kept ourselves out of the spotlight as much as possible. It was killing me not to be able to hold her hand in between classes, or to kiss her when we passed in the corridor, and those few minutes we had by our lockers each day was what I looked forward to most. But, it was what I had to do to make sure Katniss felt as comfortable as possible. I was so scared that she would find all the attention to much and want to break up with me.

It was a surprise, therefore, when Katniss turned up in the bakery kitchen on Sunday afternoon while I was working.

"Hey you." she said, softly.

I was concentrating so intently on the cake that I was decorating, that she startled me. She laughed as I jumped and spun around, the piping bag in my hand almost like a weapon.

"Wow, you should see your face right now!" she laughed.

"Never interrupt a baker when he's decorating." I said, pretending to be serious.

"Well, I'll remember that." she joked.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, smiling. I couldn't believe she'd taken a voluntary trip to the Upper East Side just to see me.

"I was hungry." she shrugged. "I heard your cupcakes are pretty good."

"Oh did you now?" I laughed.

I took a cupcake off one of the trays waiting to enter the bakery and gave it too her. Happily, she hopped up onto the counter and started to eat it, as though she had done that a million times before. I loved how much more comfortable she was beginning to act around me.

I knew she was worried about getting too used to this lifestyle, but although she was much more comfortable around me, there were still many aspects of the Upper East Side lifestyle that she despised. No matter how hard I begged, she would not come with me to any of the dinner parties I was forced to attend with my family and was still angry whenever she saw someone spend hundreds of dollars on a whim. She was right of course, most people around here were shallow and money obsessed, but I think she had finally accepted that I wasn't like that.

I loved how determined Katniss was not to conform to the ways of the Upper East Side like I had seen so many other new students to The Capitol School do. She had showed me a whole other world, where you didn't have to wear a suit and tie to dinner and that some of the best things to do in this city cost under ten dollars. I was amazed by how much more of the world Katniss had opened to me, but I was also glad that she was willing to let a little bit of my world into her life.

I had been doing a lot of thinking about her and I before she had arrived at the bakery, and it was actually perfect that she chosen that moment to surprise me.

"Hey so I've been thinking…" I began, working up the courage to turn around and face her.

"Oh, have you now?" Katniss joked.

I looked her in the eye and said quickly, "Maybe we should rethink the whole 'not putting a label on our relationship' idea."

"Yeah?" Katniss looked at me to say more.

"Well I mean, everybody knows we're dating anyway. I thought it might be easier." She didn't look convinced. "Plus, I kind of want to call you my girlfriend." That made her smile.

"So what do you say?" I looked at her, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Would your girlfriend happen to get free cupcakes?" she asked cheekily.

"Any time she wants."

"Well then, I'll _definitely_ be your girlfriend."

I crossed to her, trying to contain my smile. I hopped up next to her on the counter, and she lay aside the half eaten cupcake. I could taste the sugary icing on her lips as I kissed her. Even though we had been seeing each other for a few weeks now, I still couldn't get over how much I loved kissing her. It kind of made my head spin to think that Katniss Everdeen would even consider dating me, and I was so happy she had let me in considering she was once so determined to hate me. I wanted to kiss her forever, but I think things might have been escalating a little too quickly considering we were in the middle of a commercial kitchen.

"Sooo." Katniss said, breaking away. She was pretty breathless and her cheeks were rosy red. "Busy day at work then?"

I laughed, "Just finishing up some orders before we close."

"Right." Katniss said sighing, "Thanksgiving."

"Not your favourite holiday?" I asked.

"It's never really been the same since my father died."

"So what do you do?"

"Gale's family usually comes over, and we eat together." Katniss told me, "What about you?"

"Not my favourite holiday either- you think my mother is bad, you should meet my grandmother!"

"Oh no, really?" Katniss groaned, "Well, you're welcome to stop by my place if you need to."

"I might just take you up on that offer." I said, leaning in to kiss her again.

"Hey Peeta, you finished that cake yet?" One of the bakers on the opposite side of the kitchen called to me, as amused look on his face.

I groaned and jumped off the bench. "You are _way_ too distracting." I winked at her.

"I better go then." she said with a cheeky grin.

As she left the kitchen, she took another cupcake off the tray and blew me a kiss. I couldn't stop smiling as I finished decorating the cake, and I was fairly sure that Katniss Everdeen was going to be the death of me.

* * *

The only thing I truly enjoyed about Thanksgiving was that my family left most of the cooking to me. A lot of families on the Upper East Side hired staff to cook the most rich and decadent food possible, but I had volunteered a few years ago and I guess the job had been given to me. My brothers were lazing around on the couch while I pulled the turkey out of the oven. It smelled fantastic, and I was pretty pleased with it.

"Okay, it's ready!" I called, and my family gathered around the table.

To be honest, the few minutes after we sat down to eat were my favourite, and I actually felt appreciated by my family. However, as soon as we began my mother and grandmother found a million ways to compare me to my brothers and make me feel pretty much worthless again.

"You know, he's dating some girl on a scholarship!" My mother remarked.

"Well where's she from?" My grandmother asked her.

"Not from here, that's for sure!"

"Peeta, you should be looking for a girl from a good family around here." My grandmother advised. "Why don't you date a girl like Wyatt's girlfriend, her father bought his wife a yacht for their anniversary- a yacht!"

"Can we not talk about Katniss right now?" I said, more angrily that I had intended, even though I was fuming.

"Don't use that tone at the dinner table." My mother frowned.

I decided not to bother saying anything more, and ate in silence. However, I couldn't help ignore the subtle comments my mother continued to make as she spoke about the _wonderful_ achievements of my brothers in terms of sports and college and followed up with "and Peeta is doing a lot of the decorations at the bakery." Unfortunately, rolling my eyes at her comment did not go undetected.

"Peeta, do you have a problem with me saying that?" My mother asked in a pleasant tone despite her angry expression.

"No." I replied, looking down. The last thing I wanted was an argument. That had happened last year, and I did not want to repeat it.

"Good, you can clear the table then."

Sighing, I began clearing the table as my family retreated to the living room and collapsed on the couches, full from their meals. Once everything was stacked in the dishwasher, I looked across at them, conversing as though I didn't exist. Quietly, I slipped out of the apartment and they didn't even notice.

* * *

I wasn't sure if Katniss' offer to visit on Thanksgiving was entirely legitimate, but at that point I couldn't stand to be around my family in that apartment any longer. I needed to get out. Although this Thanksgiving hadn't been as bad as in the past, I still was sick and tired of the way my mother treated me.

I arrived at Katniss' apartment as they were eating dessert, and I could see the surprised looks on everyone faces when I appeared in the doorway, including Katniss'. I looked over at the table and recognised both Prim and their mother, however, I had never met the others seated at the table. Another woman, who must have been Gale's mother was sitting beside three younger siblings of Gale's, and then Gale himself. I didn't really know what to expect Gale to be like, but he was way more grown up looking than I was, and I immediately felt self conscious. I also noticed that Gale did not look pleased at all.

However, Katniss welcomed me and pulled me into a hug. "Hey." she said softly, "What are you doing here?"

"What, aren't I allowed to see my girlfriend on Thanksgiving?" I asked, smiling back.

It was a light hearted question, but it made Gale slam his glass down on the table so hard I was surprised it didn't break. At once the life seemed to drain out of the room, and I could sense immediately that it was the wrong thing to say.

"Gale, could you pass the water jug?" Prim asked innocently, trying to restore some life into the small party. Gale handed Prim the jug but said nothing.

"Here." Katniss said, pulling up a chair next to hers, "Take a seat."

Gale's family introduced themselves to me, but the rest of the meal was eaten mostly in silence, in between short moments of uncomfortable small talk. The two families fitted in so well together it was as if they really were one unit, and I was beginning to very uncomfortable. Not to mention how over dressed I was, in a suit that probably cost more than their entire meal. I felt incredibly out of place, and from the angry looks Gale was giving me, and I completely unwelcome too.

I volunteered to help Katniss wash the dishes, but Gale insisted that he would do it. Instead, I dried while Gale and Katniss washed. I noticed Katniss glance over as Prim and Rory disappeared into their bedroom, but it seemed to me that the situation that had arisen between Gale and I was taking up all her energy at that moment, and she said nothing. Even though Katniss was standing in between Gale and I, Gale still managed to glare at me as the three of us worked in silence until all the dishes were washed and dried.

"All done!" Katniss said, overly happily.

When she turned to me, I noticed she had bubbles in her hair, and she looked so adorably cute that I couldn't help but smile. "You've got some bubbles." I said, and gently took them out.

I heard the door slam and we both jumped. I realised that Gale had just walked out of the apartment, and Katniss tensed up. I took a step back from her, feeling awful.

"Maybe I should go." I said softly, "I've ruined your day."

"No, it's fine." she tried to reassure me, but it wasn't convincing. "Did something happen with your family?"

"Yeah." I sighed, sadly. "But let's not talk about it."

She nodded, taking my hand and leading me over to the couch.

"I'm guessing Gale doesn't like me, then." I said trying to make a joke, but it didn't sound funny.

"Don't worry about him." Katniss said, taking a breath. "He just has strong opinions about the Upper East Side and thinks that I've 'become one of you'." she sighed.

"Surely he knows that's not true."

"But is it?" Katniss looked distressed. "I'm scared that I'm turning into everything I hate."

"Katniss." I said seriously, "I've grown up amongst those people my whole life, and trust me, you are _not_ turning into them." I smiled, "I promise, as soon as you start wanting me to buy you a yacht, I'll make sure you get the hell away from that place."

"A yacht?" she asked, laughing.

"Don't ask." I groaned.

Katniss smiled and snuggled in to me, resting her head in my chest. We sat quietly together, and I was happy for the time just to be with her, without any stares, any rumours, any complications. However, I knew that sooner or later I would have to leave, on the off chance that my family was wondering where I had gone.

As I left the apartment building, I heard a gruff voice call my name. I turned to see Gale standing behind me. He still didn't look happy and I was beginning to wonder if he ever actually smiled at all.

"Hi, Gale." I said. I had a feeling that this was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

"Let's not try to act like we like each other." Gale replied. At least he got to the point.

"Okay?"

"I don't know what you think you're doing with Katniss, but she isn't like all those stuck up girls where you're from."

"I know that, why do you think I like her?"

"Katniss has been through a lot of things you would never understand." He glared at me, "If you ever hurt her, you'll have to deal with me."

"Look, I shouldn't have to explain this to you, but I really like Katniss and she really likes me. I'm sticking around, and you just have to get use to it." I could feel myself getting more and more frustrated, and I'd never really had this kind of confrontation with someone that wasn't my mother. Gale was much bigger than me and had probably been in more fights than I would like to imagine, so there was no way I wanted this conversation to go any further. I turned to leave, and was relieved that Gale said no more.

Between the vicious rumours on the Upper East Side and Gale's overprotectiveness of Katniss, any hopes of things getting less complicated any time soon were quickly disappearing.


	11. Home

_Finnick's POV_

The day after Thanksgiving, I joined Annie at a café that had become our regular meeting place in Brooklyn. It was quiet, out of the way and I could have Annie all to myself seeing as no one I knew would be there.

"Hello, my little pumpkin pie." I said, as she slid into the booth next to me.

"Pumpkin pie, seriously?" Annie looked at me.

"Oh come on, it's cute." I tapped her on the nose, "Just like you."

"I think you need to come up with some better pick up lines."

"Hey, I've already got you- so you're stuck with the ones I have, _pumpkin pie_."

"You've got me, have you?" she questioned.

I smiled to myself as this was the perfect timing for what I had planned. I reached into my pocket and took out a little packet of candy hearts I'd bought before I arrived. I handed her a small purple heart that had the words 'Be Mine' printed on it. It was a little cheesy, I admit, but I couldn't help it.

"I think we should make things official." I told her, trying to hold back my smile. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"You know the answer is yes." Annie said, smiling.

Eagerly, I gave her the next heart, a yellow one that said 'Kiss Me'. Rolling her eyes, she kissed me, but only once because she was smiling so much.

"You're smiling a lot." I remarked, but then I was smiling too.

"I'm happy." she said lightly, but I knew that it was probably a big deal for Annie to say that, because I think she really, really meant it. "So now that I'm _officially_ Finnick Odair's girlfriend, what is first on the agenda?" she joked.

"Well actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about." I said, taking a deep breath.

"Uh oh." she joked, "That's serious."

I laughed. "My parents want to meet you."

She froze and I could tell that was the last thing she was expecting me to say. "Really?"

"Yeah." I sighed. "My father is always going on about how I need to settle down and start taking things seriously before college, so I think he's pretty pleased that I'm in a relationship." I looked at her. "So what do you say, dinner tomorrow night?"

"I don't know Finnick, what if they don't like me?"

I tried to hide my own fears as she said that. Like most parents on the Upper East Side, mine had very high standards when it came to who I should be in a relationship with. I had a feeling that a girl from Brooklyn wasn't going to cut it, no matter how lovely she was.

"They're going to love you!" I said optimistically. "Plus, Mags can't wait to meet you." At least that was true.

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me, it will be fine." I said, pulling her into my arms, "And if it's not, we can always make our escape before dessert."

"But dessert is your favourite part!"

Jokingly, I put my hand on my heart. "The sacrifices I'm willing to make for you, Annie."

"Okay, okay." Annie laughed, "I'll go."

We ate our lunch happily, even though Annie still couldn't believe how many sugars I put in my coffee. When she wasn't looking, I put a couple of sugar packets in hers before she tasted it, and I smiled to myself when she remarked that it was the best she had ever tasted.

As much as I enjoyed the day, I dreaded the moment we had to part. I walked her home and I didn't want to let go of her hand, even as we stood at her doorstep.

"I hate saying goodbye to you." I moaned, "I don't want to go back to my regular life."

Annie looked at me for a moment, biting down on her lip. She started to untie one of the string bracelets around her wrist and I watched in silence as she took my arm and tied the blue, white and green bracelet around my own wrist.

"There." she said, looking up at me and smiling, "Now you'll have this to remember me by, even when we're not together."

"You are so perfect, did you know that?" I smiled.

"You may have told me once or twice." she joked.

I kissed her before saying goodbye. "See you later, pumpkin pie."

Annie sighed, "Goodbye, Finnick."

As I made my way back to my apartment, I could help but smile. I must have looked ridiculous, grinning to myself all the way there. I didn't care though, because Annie made me happier than I had ever felt in my whole life.

* * *

It was nearly time for our dinner, and I was pacing around Mags' room nervously waiting for Annie to arrive. Mags was sitting on her bed, watching me incredulously.

"Will you please stop moving!" she exclaimed, "You're making me motion sick."

"Ughhh Mags." I moaned, "I'm really nervous."

"It will be fine, Finnick." Mags said, but we both knew she was trying to make me feel better.

The apartment buzzer rang and I looked at Mags with wide eyes. For a moment I couldn't move.

"Finnick, greet her!" Mags urged me, breaking me out of my panic.

"Okay, I'm going." I said, psyching myself up.

I walked down the hall as the elevator door opened and Annie stepped out. She looked absolutely breathtaking and I suddenly feared I wouldn't make it through the evening without kissing her in front of my parents.

"This place is amazing!" Annie exclaimed. "It's at least three times as big as my apartment." she joked.

I crossed to her, hoping to kiss her just once before the dinner began. As soon as she was in my arms, however, my mother appeared in the hall.

"Finnick?" My mother said, "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

I took Annie by the hand and led her into the dinning room, where the long wooden table was set with china plates, shining silver cutlery and sparkling glasses. Annie probably thought it was all a little over the top, and she was right, but to my parents it was perfect.

I introduced my mother and father to Annie as we took our seats at the dinning table. I made sure that Annie sat next to me, and my parents sat opposite.

"It's lovely to meet you, Mr and Mrs Odair." Annie said politely.

"Yes, you too Annie." My mother said formally.

"Indeed." My father began, "Where is it you're from, again?"

"Brooklyn." Annie answered. She looked uncomfortable when he gave my mother an unimpressed glance. To reassure Annie, I found her hand under the table and squeezed it.

"So what school do you go to?" My mother continued.

"Coriolanus High School." Annie replied a little more timidly.

"And what do you hope to do in the future?" My father asked. It was like some kind of interogation and I could tell Annie was starting to falter.

"I'm not sure yet." Annie said, "Either something with marine animals, or in psychology."

"Hmmm I see." My father said is a disapproving tone.

Annie looked at me and I knew she was feeling uncomfortable. I had a sinking feeling as I knew that this dinner was not going to go well.

"So what is it that you do?" Annie asked.

It was a good move, I had to hand it to her. The only thing my father liked to talk about more than how disappointing I was to him, was his work. For the next half an hour at least, my father explained the ins and outs of his job. I zoned out at least five times, having heard his speech a thousand times, and tried to make Annie laugh by knocking my leg against hers. I think she was pretty determined to make a good impression though, and stayed completely interested in the conversation the entire time. It was an impressive feat.

However, it appeared that no matter how hard Annie tried, my parents were clearly not as enamoured by her as I was. As we finished the main course, my worst fears were realised.

"So is this a serious relationship?" My mother asked. "Because Finnick's hardly ever with a girl for more than a week, isn't that right, Finnick?"

"We don't really need to talk about that…" I said to her.

"Well I'm always telling Finnick to start taking his future seriously." My father turned to Annie, "Here on the Upper East Side, a young man needs a strong marriage from a good, likeminded family- if you understand what I'm saying, Annie."

"Not someone from Brooklyn, I'm guessing." Her words were strong, but I noticed her lip quiver.

"You're a smart girl, Annie, but..." My father trailed off.

"Okay," I said loudly, to interrupt the uncomfortable atmosphere that had settled. "How about I show you where the bathroom is, Annie?"

Annie got up quickly and followed me out of the room and down the hall. We didn't speak as I led her to my bedroom and closed the door shut. She looked at me sadly, and there were tears in her eyes.

"They think I'm not good enough for you." she said, her voice trembling. "I'm never good enough."

"Well they're wrong." I told her, wrapping her in my arms. "I'm not good enough for you. I'm really sorry, Annie."

"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" She stepped back, searching my face for an answer.

"I hoped it wouldn't." I said honestly.

We sat down on my bed together, and I looked at her. "I'm not taking this off, you know?" I said, pointing to her bracelet around my wrist. "I don't care what anyone says, or what anyone thinks."

"Really?" she asked.

"I'm yours, Annie Cresta." I said, kissing her softly.

There was a knock at the door and we jumped apart as the door swung open. Mags was standing in the doorway, a smug look on her face like she knew exactly what we had been doing. She was holding a tray with two plates of dessert, and offered them to us as she sat down at my desk.

"I knew we kept you around for a reason, Mags." I joked.

"It's lovely to meet you, Annie." Mags said, ignoring my comment. "Finnick will not stop talking about you. The amount of times he's come into my room moaning that he can't stop thinking about you…"

"Okay I take that back!" I said quickly, my face heating up, "You can go now."

"Hmm, I think I want to hear more of what Mags has to say." Annie said cheekily.

In the end, Mags, Annie and I stayed in my bedroom for the rest of the evening playing a game of Scrabble. As it turned out, Annie was a master Scrabble player, and even gave Mags a challenge. When the two of them teamed up against me, the game was a lost cause. Annie even agreed to be my date for the upcoming Christmas Ball, even though she insisted that she didn't know what to wear. In the end, she said yes on the condition that Mags was allowed to tell embarrassing stories from my childhood. I didn't mind though, because Annie was smiling again, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was uncomfortable, to say the least. I wasn't speaking to either of my parents, not that they were in any way sorry for the way they treated Annie. I couldn't believe that those two people sitting opposite me could really be my parents, when we were nothing at all alike.

"Finnick, listen to me." My father said seriously. "This relationship isn't going to last, you know that. Annie doesn't belong is this world."

"Yeah well maybe I don't either." My vow of silence was useless, I was too angry at them and I had to defend Annie.

"Stop this ridiculousness Finnick." My mother snapped.

"It would be best if you just ended it now, it will save everyone a lot time and emotions." My father said, as though it was as easy as one of his work contracts.

"I'm not going to do that." I replied coldly.

"Finnick- please." My father sighed, "I want you to have a serious think about your future. You need to find someone that is of your status."

"I don't want a relationship like you have!"

"I have set up a date for you this afternoon." My father continued as if I had not said anything.

"What?" I nearly screamed. "No way. I'm with Annie, dad. I'm seeing _her_ this afternoon."

"This is very important to me, Finnick. Her father is an important client of mine."

"You can't use me to secure your business deals!"

"This isn't just about me, Finnick. This girl is from the kind of family you should be looking for."

"I can't believe this." I said, standing up from the table in disgust.

"Listen to your father, Finnick." My mother said sternly.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in this Finnick. I am sick of your attitude." My father said, looking at me. "You will be here at noon or I will have no option but to send you back to Panem. "

Every time. Every damn time. Whenever we had an argument my father used the reform school threat. It only worked on me because he'd sent me there once before, when I was fourteen years old and he caught me with a joint. He sent me straight off to Panem for a semester- where I had to wake up at 5am every morning for cleaning duty and pull tires in the mud on the weekends. It was a nightmare, and even the thought of it made me feel completely sick. In the past few months, my father had brought up Panem again more and more frequently. If I didn't start taking my life seriously, he said, I would be back there to 'have some sense knocked into me'.

I groaned. If Annie found out about this date she would leave me, but if I didn't go I probably wouldn't see her again anyway. Either way, I was going to loose her, but at least if I was still in the city I could try and explain things to her. I figured that if I did this for my father, maybe he would get off my back and learn to accept the idea of Annie. Well, that was what I tried to tell myself. I still couldn't believe I was going to do this to her, and I hated myself for it, but I picked up the phone and called Annie anyway.

"Hey, Annie." I said sadly.

"Are you okay?" she asked immediately.

"No." I moaned. "I have to cancel our plans. My father is making me stay in and study." I couldn't tell her the truth. I couldn't say the words.

"But I'm already nearby!" Annie exclaimed, "I have a surprise for you!"

My heart was breaking with every word. "I'm sorry, Annie." I told her. "Maybe be another time."

There was silence for a moment before she finally said, "Okay. I'll see you later, Finnick."

"Bye, Annie." I sighed.

I was absolutely seething that my parents had practically given me no other option. Trust them to try and ruin the only good thing I had had in my life for a long time. I felt sick to my stomach, and hated myself even more when I found myself helping some blonde girl in stilettos into a limousine not too long after our conversation. As I closed the door for her, I looked up and my heart stopped. Around the corner, I saw a flash of dark brown hair disappearing out of view.

Annie?

Panic was rising in me as I tried to tell myself that it wasn't her, it couldn't be her. It was just some other girl with dark hair. There was no way that this could be happening. It took a long time for myself to calm down as I tried to convince myself that everything was fine, but I still couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling in the back of my mind.

I tried not to think about Annie during the date, and for the first time since meeting her I had to put on the act that I hated so much. I smiled, I laid on my usual charms, and the girl fell for it. She giggled, twirled her hair, played with my hands. I didn't kiss her, but the whole situation was just as bad. The whole thing made me feel sick, and as soon as I got home I took an hour long shower to try to scrub myself clean. It didn't help though, because I could have scrubbed until I bled and I still wouldn't have washed away the guilt I felt.

After dinner I tried to call Annie, to make sure it wasn't her that I had seen. However, my call went straight to voice mail. I felt my heart drop. She must be mad at me. I decided to call her landline, but her aunt answered.

"Hi, this is Finnick." I said, "Is Annie there?"

I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, and it sounded like the woman was crying.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, starting to panic.

"Annie's not here." she managed to choke out in between sobs.

"Where is she?" I was starting to sound frantic.

"At the hospital." Annie's aunt said breathlessly, "She attempted suicide this afternoon."

The line went dead and everything was numb. I was hardly aware of the phone dropping out of my hand as I sunk to my knees. The room was spinning as I tried to process what I had just heard, but only one thought was running through my mind: This was all my fault.


	12. One World

**A/N: **Thank you so much for all of your reviews and suggestions, they make my day! I hope you like this chapter and there is enough insight into Annie's situation. If not, Annie's perspective is coming up after this one!

* * *

_Katniss' POV_

Although Peeta and I were still the main point of conversation at school, especially to Cashmere who glared at me whenever I walked passed, two new topics had almost replaced us. The first, which was spreading quickly through the halls, was to do with the sudden transformation of Finnick Odair. In just one day he had gone from charming and full of life to someone who wandered around in a sad daze and had dark circles under his eyes as though he hadn't been sleeping. He also kept reknotting the string bracelet around his wrist as if scared he would loose it.

It had been two days since Finnick had told Peeta and I about Annie's suicide attempt, confiding in us the entire situation. It was awful, and I felt terrible for Annie. I hardly knew her, but she seemed so sweet and kind, and had definitely brought out a better side to Finnick. After seeing the cuts on Annie's arm I had the feeling that despite her smiles and friendly nature, there was darkness in her mind, and it made me so sad to think that Annie felt the way she did. From what Finnick had told us, she was barely hanging on as it was, and the situation with Finnick was just too much for her.

Finnick blamed himself entirely, and was not only hating himself for what he had done, but was also missing Annie terribly. As much as Finnick didn't want to make things about himself, it was clear to everyone that he wasn't coping at all. Peeta and I were the only ones who actually knew about Annie, and we decided that we had to help him out, even though Johanna didn't understand why I would ever want to spend any time with Finnick. So, after school on Wednesday we took him to Mellark Bakery where Peeta kept him constantly supplied with brownies as he sat in front of us in complete misery.

"She hates me." he said, taking a bite of his third slice of brownie for the afternoon.

"Have you tried talking to her?" Peeta suggested softly.

He nodded sadly. "I called her last night." he moaned. "Took me ages to convince her aunt to give me the phone number of her room."

"And what happened?"

"She hung up on me. Twice." he said mournfully. "Eventually she stayed on the line and I tried to explain. Tried to say sorry."

"What did she say?"

"That it didn't change anything." Finnick said, burying his head in his hands. "She said she saw me with that girl and that she never should have trusted me and that she was stupid for thinking that I would ever like her and ughhh it was horrible." He spoke in run on sentences as though it was too painful for him to relive the conversation, but needed to speak his thoughts all the same. "She was happy, for the first time since her parents died, and I ruined everything. I should never have asked her out, but I couldn't help it, you know? I really, really like her... But I was always going to mess things up. I'm no good for her and I hate myself for it."

Peeta gave me a concerned glance, and for the first time he wasn't sure what to say. Peeta was better at saying the right thing than I was, and besides, I barely knew Finnick while they had been best friends since kindergarten. So I stayed quiet while Peeta did the talking, and it was nice to see how much he cared about his friend. However, he seemed to want me to try and say something.

"Another brownie?" I asked hesitantly, holding the plate out to him.

He nodded sadly, taking another. "I don't know what to do."

"Do you think you could go and see her?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Family only." he sighed. "She wouldn't want to see me anyway. I don't want to make things worse."

"Finnick, these last couple of days, you've been a mess." I told him honestly. "You _need_ to find a way to explain things properly, for yourself _and_ for Annie."

For whatever reason, my bluntness seemed to get through to him. He looked at me for a moment, as though thinking it over in his mind, before shaking himself together and standing.

"You're right." he said slowly. "I need a plan first…" He was out of the door before I could say another word, leaving Peeta and I speechless in the bakery café.

"Do you think I did the right thing, encouraging him to not give up on Annie?" I asked Peeta eventually.

"From what Finnick told us, he was just as good for Annie as she was for him. I don't know what was going through her head when she...you know..." He trailed off for a moment. "But maybe it would help with her recovery if she saw that he really does still like her, and that she wasn't wrong to trust him."

"And if she choses to forgive him, then I guess that's her decision." I finished.

We sat in silence for a moment, thinking about the situation. All I could see in my mind was Annie, thinking that she wasn't good enough for anyone when that wasn't at all true, and Finnick, a total mess for being the breaking point for the girl he clearly loved. I really hoped things worked out for them, whatever Finnick's plan was.

* * *

The second piece of gossip in the school halls was centred around the upcoming Christmas Ball. From what Johanna had told me, the annual ball was pretty much the most important social event of the winter season for the students at The Capitol School, and every where we went we could hear girls discussing what they were going to wear and who was going to ask them to go.

"So I'm guessing you aren't going to make an appearance?" I asked Johanna.

"Hell no." she scoffed. "You're on your own."

"What?" I asked. "I'm not going either!"

"Oh yes you are." Johanna said. "You're with Peeta, and Peeta is one of _them_."

I sighed, she was right. Technically, Peeta was one of 'them' and no matter how much he didn't like it, it was practically a given that he would be there. As his girlfriend, I supposed I had to go as well. I knew he was going to talk to me about it as he asked me to walk with him during lunch. I stood up and Johanna gave me a knowing smirk as we walked away.

"You probably know what I'm going to ask you." Peeta laughed.

"I think I have a some idea." I replied.

"Look, around here, the Christmas Ball is a really big deal. I kind of have to go." He looked annoyed. "I know you probably hate me right now, but would you go with me?"

"I don't hate you!" I exclaimed. "Well, maybe I will once we get there."

"So that means you'll come?"

"Fine." I groaned. "But I'm not going to enjoy it."

"Trust me, neither will I." he said. "Unless we sneak off together half way through."

"Now you're talking." I said cheekily.

We said goodbye, and I left to find a quiet place in the library during my free period. I had only just opened my textbook to the right page when I was joined by a more lively version of Finnick than the day before. I didn't think I had ever seen him in the library before, and it seemed that he really had thought up a plan of how to make things up to Annie.

"Katniss, just the girl I wanted to see." Finnick said cheerfully, sitting down beside me.

"Oh no." I pretended to groan.

"I'm not that bad, am I?" he joked.

"What do you want, Finnick?" I smiled, despite myself.

"Which do you prefer?" Finnick handed me his phone and showed me photographs of two ball gowns- one green and silky and the other gold and flowing.

"I didn't know you were in to women's dresses." I joked.

"Not for me!" he said exasperated.

"I really don't think I'm the right person to be giving fashion advice." I told him honestly.

"Come on, which one do you like better?" he continued.

"Fine, the green one." I said.

"Me too!" he said. "It will match her eyes…"

"What?" I asked, not sure if I heard him right.

"What?" he asked back, trying to cover up what he had said.

I sighed, I was not in the mood for his games. "Goodbye, Finnick."

"You know, Katniss, I think I'm actually starting to like you." He smiled.

"Unfortunately, the feeling is mutual." I rolled my eyes.

Finnick walked away happily looking at the photo of the dress. If by some miracle Annie agreed to go to the ball with Finnick, I was pretty sure they would be the most good looking couple there.

I didn't end up getting much study done, I was too busy worrying about the ball and thinking about Annie. Sighing, I began packing up my books when I felt as though someone was standing behind me. I turned quickly, to come face to face with Cashmere. It was the first time I had ever seen her alone, without her loyal followers standing either side of her. She still had the same evil glint in her eye though.

"Katniss." she said coolly. "I saw Peeta buying tickets to the Christmas Ball during lunch. Is he taking you?"

"Yes." I said, of course he was taking me.

"Didn't really think it was your scene."

"It's important to Peeta."

"Oh well aren't you just the _perfect_ girlfriend?" she sneered.

"I've got to get to class." I said, pushing passed her.

"You know, if I were you, I wouldn't go to the ball." she continued.

"And why is that?" I challenged.

"Remember our little chat when you first started here?"

I sighed. I was so sick of her glares and rude comments. Even though I hated that I let her get to me so much, I couldn't take it any longer. "Cashmere, please. Peeta and I are together and there is nothing you can do about it." I looked at her. "He doesn't want you, so get over it."

I walked away from her, pleased that I finally stood up to her. At the same time, however, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Making bitchy comments was Cashmere's thing, and what I had just said to her was exactly like the kind of thing the rest of the girls at school would say to each other. I started to panic when I realised that maybe I really was turning into one of those girls after all. However, when I caught up with Johanna on the way to class, she laughed at me when I told her what I was scared about.

"Katniss, seriously. You are _not_ turning into Cashmere just because you put her in her place for once in her life." she reassured me. "If anything, I think I might be rubbing off on you."

That made me feel better, especially when she asked me to describe to her again the exact look on Cashmere's face.

"Johanna can you _please _come to the ball?" I begged, "I'm not going to survive if you don't come."

"Oh I'm sure you'll be fine with Peeta." Johanna winked at me.

"Well can you at least help me find a dress- I don't have anything to wear!"

Johanna reluctantly agreed, and in the end, I managed to get a group together to go dress shopping on Saturday. After begging for nearly two days, I finally gave in and let Prim join Johanna, Madge, Delly and I in Greenwich Village, looking for dresses that didn't cost thousands of dollars. I had been working extra shifts at the pizza place to make some more money to put towards Christmas, and I supposed this ball fell under that category. Plus, all the work I had been doing was a good excuse to avoid Gale, who hadn't exactly been my biggest fan following Thanksgiving. We had hardly spoken, and to be honest I didn't know what to say to him.

As much as I hated to admit it, dress shopping turned out to be a lot of fun. Johanna of course made it her mission to pick out the ugliest dresses possible, and made us all try them on at least once. Her comments, such as "This would make you look like a tree!" did not go unnoticed by the unimpressed shop assistants. Delly and Madge also had a wonderful time dressing Prim up in glamorous gowns that were way too big for her, and it was nice to see my sister so happy. However, I was beginning to think that my friends liked Prim more than they liked me, but who wouldn't, Prim was like a little ray of sunshine.

We had entered the final shop of our trip and I was yet to find a dress. Suddenly Prim squealed and rushed over to me, holding a dress that was practically perfect. It was red and flowing, with a ruffled sleeve over one shoulder that was dotted with sparkles. It was even in my price range, which I couldn't believe.

"Wow Katniss- you look hot!" Johanna remarked when I left the dressing room in the gown. "You are on _fire_, girl."

"Thanks, Johanna?" I said, laughing.

"Cashmere is going to _loose_ it when she sees you in that dress." Madge said gleefully.

"Spin around, Katniss, spin around!" Prim chanted.

I spun around a few times, the bottom of the dress fanning out perfectly. I got a little dizzy though, and stumbled as I tried to slow down. "I have no idea how I'm going to walk in this dress." I moaned.

"Just wait until you put heels on!" Delly laughed.

I groaned again. If this was what it was like to live on the Upper East Side, then I was sure once and for all that I wanted nothing to do with it.

* * *

Prim and I arrived home happy but tired as the sun was beginning to set. As we turned the corner into our street I found Gale once again sitting on the curb. Prim looked at me hesitantly, and I motioned for her to go inside. I knew that I needed to talk to Gale eventually, and I think he realised that too.

"Hey, Gale." I said, sitting down next to him.

"Have a nice day shopping with your new friends?" Gale asked coldly. "Buy a pretty dress to go to the ball in?"

"Why are you being like this?" I asked him.

"Why are _you _being like this?" Gale shot back. "All the parties and dresses and dates on the Upper East Side- that isn't you, Katniss!"

"And how would you know?"

"Because I know you better than anyone." Gale looked at me. "Better than Peeta." he added. I sighed, so that was what this really was about.

"If you keep dating him, he's going to change you into one of his type. I don't want that for you Katniss. I don't want you to change, I like you how you are." Gale continued.

"Going to a ball doesn't change who I am, Gale."

"It does Katniss, don't you see?" Gale said sadly. "Six months ago you would have hated the very idea of going to some stupid ball and now here you are acting exactly like you were born and raised in that world."

"I don't want to go to the ball, neither does Peeta. We just have to, okay? That's how things work."

"That's how things work?" Gale repeated incredulously. "Don't let them control you, Katniss."

"I'm not!" I sighed angrily. "You just don't get it."

"Well I guess I don't." Gale replied. "Maybe I was wrong- I don't know you at all anymore."

He got up and left me alone in the street. I stayed outside until it got too cold, but even inside I couldn't shake the iciness inside of me as I replayed the fight I had just had with Gale.


	13. First Dance

_Annie's__ POV_

Every day was the same. I had been in the hospital for over one week and yet nothing seemed to be different. The days blurred together, the ticking clock echoed in my head. Wake up. Eat breakfast. Therapy. Lunch. Group activities. More therapy. Eat Dinner. Go to Sleep. Repeat.

I hated that I was there. I hated that I had to keep retelling my story and reliving those memories. I hated that people kept trying to help me when I knew that they couldn't because I was mad. I hated staring at the same blue walls and eating the same horrible meals. I hated that my parents were dead and I was not. I hated Finnick Odair. But most of all, I hated that I didn't really hate Finnick, despite everything that had happened.

It was strange, that I found talking about my parents' deaths easier than talking about Finnick. I supposed it was because it was my fault that I let Finnick in and that I trusted him and believed that maybe he would like me. Because why would someone like Finnick want someone like me, who was broken beyond repair? He had made me forget for a while, the terrible thoughts that constantly screamed through my mind, and had given me hope that maybe things would get better. He was charming but sweet, so full of energy and full of life, and he made me enjoy being alive too.

But I knew it was too good to be true. When I turned into his street that day, I saw him walking some blonde girl towards a limousine. He was smiling and laughing, and she leant up and whispered something in his ear to which he winked in reply. It felt like everything was going dark around me as I watched him help her into the back of the vehicle. To make it worse, he still had my string bracelet around his wrist.

It was too much. Like I had feared, his betrayal was too much for me to handle. I couldn't take the nightmares and the flashbacks and the thoughts running through my head anymore, and it made me sick to think that I had come to depend on Finnick so much. Since my parent's deaths I had tried not to need anyone, because they would all leave in the end. But I had opened up to Finnick and it turned out to be a terrible mistake. I was so full of self loathing and despair and finally it was just all too much. The last thing I remember before I passed out from the pain was my aunt running into my bedroom screaming at the blood streaming from my wrists.

Now I was stuck in a place where everything was the same, day in day out. Listening to other patients tell their stories, trying to concentrate while psychologists asked me how I was feeling, taking the medication they handed to me in little plastic cups and trying not to think about Finnick. Honestly, the monotony of each day was making me feel even madder than before.

It was time for my session with Dr Aurelius, and I slowly walked down the hall to his office, dreading the appointment.

"Annie." Dr Aurelius greeted me with a smile. "Come on in."

I took a seat in the armchair opposite him, and looked at him for a moment. I suddenly realised how tired I was. Tired of speaking about myself, tired of bringing up all those memories again.

"Would you like to keep talking about your relationship with Finnick today?" he asked gently.

I sighed. No, of course I didn't. But Dr Aurelius thought it was key to my current situation, and I supposed that was true. To be honest, I was angry at myself for letting Finnick be the person to bring me undone. I had survived for so long already, held on despite how much I desperately wanted to be with my parents again, but I kept going. In the end, it was seeing Finnick Odair with another girl that made me snap. It made me realise how unimportant I was to the world, how meaningless everything was. My parents were gone, and there was no one else to truly love me.

"Okay." I answered.

"I get the impression that you still like Finnick, despite seeing him with another girl." Dr Aurelius observed.

"I guess I do." I said, biting my lip. "He hurt me, really bad, but up until then he made me the happiest I had been for a long time. Do you think I should forgive him?"

"That's up to you, Annie." Dr Aurelius told me. "You have to decide whether Finnick would have a positive impact on your recovery, or if you need to have a fresh start."

A fresh start? I could leave this place and forget all about Finnick and that blonde girl. Maybe the only person I needed to get through this was myself, because I didn't need to depend some guy to make me feel less broken. I didn't need Finnick to try and make me better, I could only do that on my own. At the same time however, my relationship with Finnick was something that kept me going, one good thing in amongst all the bad.

"I need to do some more thinking." I said.

I returned to my room confused and disheartened. Of course I was still angry at Finnick and it was only making me feel worse about myself to miss him. But no matter what, the truth was that I really, truly did miss him.

* * *

I was late to dinner, I knew that, but I couldn't bring myself to move off of my bed.

"Annie?" A gentle voice said. It was my nurse, Octavia. "Are you coming to dinner?"

"Soon." I said softly, but I didn't move.

Octavia gave me a sad smile and crossed to me, coming to sit down at the end of the bed. "How are you doing, honey?"

"Not good today." I said.

"Why is that?"

"I was supposed to go to the Christmas Ball with Finnick tonight." I said sadly.

It was strange. A Christmas Ball had never been an event I wanted to attend, but the fact that Finnick had asked me to join him in his world made me feel as though he really did want me, and that was a wonderful feeling.

"Ah." Octavia sighed. "Don't worry Cinderella. You'll get your ball one day- and with a prince, not a toad."

I laughed. Finnick was far from a toad, but it was funny all the same. "Thanks, Octavia."

"Now come and get something to eat, Annie." Octavia gave me a comforting smile.

Sighing, I followed Octavia out into the dinning hall. All the patients on the ward ate together, but I hardly spoke to anyone as I sipped slowly on my soup. Instead, I imagined I was by the ocean with my parents once again. It was nice while it lasted.

At eight o'clock I got into bed. Even though it was ridiculously early, sleeping was the only way to pass the time quickly. Plus, I couldn't stand being awake any longer knowing that Finnick was probably getting ready for the ball with that blonde girl at that very moment. I had only just turned the light off when I heard someone enter my room.

"Annie?" Finnick's voice called out. Finnick?

"Finnick, what are you doing here?" I whispered, sitting up in the bed.

"I'm here to bust you out." he replied, and even in the dark his eyes were sparkling.

I switched on the light, "What?"

I saw him for the first time since that day, and even though I was supposed to hate him I couldn't. He sat down on the bed and just stared at me for a moment.

"You're my date for the Christmas Ball, remember?"

"Finnick, are you serious?" I said angrily. After everything that had happened, that is what he said to me?

"I've missed you so much, Annie." Finnick said endearingly, and I almost believed him.

"No you didn't." I said, but it hurt to be so harsh.

A pained expression crossed his face. "Annie, please let me explain...It wasn't what it looked like."

"Oh, how original." I shot back.

"Please." Finnick begged, "Just hear me out."

I looked at him closely. He really did look upset. Even though his hair was perfectly styled and he was wearing a crisp black suit, there were dark circles under his eyes, which suggested he hadn't had much sleep. He looked genuinely desperate to explain himself to me, and I supposed it wouldn't hurt to listen to him, seeing as I wasn't very cooperative when he tried to call me.

"Okay." I said finally.

"My father set me up on that date." Finnick began. "The girl's father is a client. He wanted me to keep her father happy, and at the same time…spend time with the 'right' type of girl."

"But you didn't have to go." I pointed out.

"I know, Annie." He sighed. "He threatened to send me back to reform school. He's done it once before. I was going to loose you one way or another."

I could feel my heart softening towards him. I knew all along in the back of my mind that there must have been some reason for what I saw, but it was easier just to hate him and try to move on. Now though, I was caught. I'd tried to lock away the feelings I had for Finnick, but they were too strong. Now that he was sitting on my bed, they all came rushing back so fast I felt dizzy. It made me confused though, because I still hadn't made up my mind about whether to forgive him or not.

"Annie…" Finnick said sadly."I am so sorry. You have to believe me."

This was the longest Finnick had ever gone with making some kind of joke, and I really believed that he was being sincere. Still, I was scared to trust him again.

"Why should I believe you?"

Finnick reached into his pocket and handed me another candy heart. This one was pink, and had the words 'I Love You' printed on it. I looked up at him questioningly.

"Because I love you, Annie Cresta." he said, and the sweetest smile formed on his lips.

This was all too much for me to handle. One minute I was trying to forget all about Finnick Odair, and the next minute I was ready to declare that I loved him too. I knew in my heart that it was true and that absolutely terrified me.

"I'm not going to say it back, Finnick." I replied. Even though I felt it, I couldn't say the words because if I did then it would be real. I couldn't take it back and that would drive me even more mad if something like this happened again. "I need some time."

"I get it, Annie." Finnick said. "I'll be waiting though." Finnick's smile widened and he leant in to kiss me, but I pulled away.

"Finnick..." I trailed off. "I don't know if I can do this."

His eyes searched my face, and I could see he was starting to panic. It looked like he really was terrified of loosing me.

"When I was with you, I was happy." I tried to explain. "But maybe I'm better off by myself."

"When I was with you, I was happy too. Don't you see, we make each other better!" Finnick looked at me. "I know I'm not good enough for you, but I promise, nothing like this will happen again. You're all I want, Annie."

"You promise?" I whispered, and he nodded. "You have to mean it this time."

"Annie, I do." Finnick said, and this time I really believed him.

My head was telling me to make him leave, and to have a fresh start like Dr Aurelius suggested. However, my heart was telling me that despite everything that had happened, Finnick was good for me, and I knew he would try and make this work. So, when he leant in to kiss me again, I didn't move away. One kiss was not enough, and I realised just how much I had missed him. How could I ever forget this boy? It was impossible.

"So how about you come to the Christmas Ball with me?" he asked way too sweetly.

"Finnick, I can't…" I looked down at my arms, covered in scars and bandages around my wrists.

"Please, Annie." he said, almost pleading. "I need you." For a moment he was serious, before he broke out into a smile. "Besides, there is no way that I could show up without a date, I have a reputation to uphold, you know."

I rolled me eyes, "Whatever."

"Please?"

"But there's no way you can get me out of here." I protested. "How did you even get in here?"

"Oh you know, I may have charmed the girls at reception." He winked. "I am Finnick Odair of course."

"How could I forget?" I smiled despite myself. Once again, his lively nature had gotten the better of me. It was hard not to smile when he was smiling at me. "Well did Finnick Odair bring me something to wear?"

"He did!" Finnick reached into his bag and pulled out the most beautiful sea green dress I had ever seen.

"Finnick…it's beautiful." I breathed.

"So you'll come?" he asked hopefully.

I rolled my eyes again, biting down on my lip as I tried not to smile.

"Is that a yes?" he asked cheekily.

I couldn't help but smile then. "Well it's not a no."

Finnick looked almost giddy as he pressed a kiss to my lips. "That's good enough for me."

"Ok ok, I'll put this on." I stood up from the bed. "You can wait outside."

"Can't I just turn around?" he whined.

"Fine, but no looking." I said stubbornly.

As I slipped off my pyjamas and put on the beautiful dress, I turned my head slightly and saw Finnick quickly look away from me, a blush growing on his cheeks.

"Hey, I said no looking." I contended.

"I think your knight in shining armour is allowed one free look, don't you?" he joked.

I sighed, "Whatever, will you zip me up?"

Finnick crossed the room and slowly pulled the zip up the dress. As he stood behind me, I could feel his breath warm and slow on his neck. Quickly I turned, desperate to bridge the gap between us, but instead Finnick stepped back. The way he looked at me, made me feel like he was really did love me, and I was beginning to think that this was a good idea after all.

"So knight in shining armour, do you happen to have any shoes in that bag?" I joked.

Finnick's eyes widened, "I forgot about shoes!" He looked genuinely upset as he cursed under his breath. "Sorry, Annie."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm no good in heels anyway." I told him. Instead I slipped on my worn pair of black Converse Hi-Tops.

Finnick sat on the bed, as I brushed through my tangled hair.

"I had no idea it was going to take you this long to get ready." he moaned.

"As if you didn't spend hours in front of the mirror to get your hair like that." I replied.

"What, this is all natural." he joked. "So do you like it then?" he asked more seriously.

I shrugged, "It's ok." A lie of course, he looked amazing, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of telling him that.

When I was ready, Finnick took my hand in his and gave me a reassuring smile as we prepared ourselves to run for it. As we sprinted down the dark corridors, laughing and smiling, it was the first time I had felt properly alive in weeks. When we made it safely into the foyer of the hospital, flushed and breathless, we collapsed into each other arms, laughing and trying to regain our breath. Still holding my hand, Finnick led me outside, where a limousine was parked.

"Your chariot awaits." he said, opening the door for me.

As I slid inside, I realised I had never been in a limousine before. I suddenly started to panic when I thought about where we were headed. I didn't belong on the Upper East Side, Finnick's parents were absolutely right. I was about to enter a completely different world and I wasn't sure I was ready.

"Finnick, I don't think I can do this." I said quietly.

"Yes you can." Finnick took both of my hands in his.

"Maybe we should just go back." I tried desperately to fight back the panic that was rising in me, but it wasn't working.

"Annie, I was serious before. I need you to be there." He looked into my eyes. "You're the only one that can keep my sane in a place like that."

"If I'm the one keeping you sane, then I think you have a problem." I said sarcastically.

"You will be fine, Annie, I promise." he said honestly, "I won't let go of your hand."

"Well then, maybe it will be ok." I laughed, resting my head on his chest.

I smiled as he kissed the top of my head, and slowly the panic began to subside.

* * *

The ball was held in the grand hall at The Capitol School. Already, girls in beautiful dresses with elaborate hair and makeup were entwined around guys in expensive suits, and classical music played from inside. I started to feel the panic again, as I realised I was way out of my depth. This whole situation was totally overwhelming, and considering I hadn't been out of the hospital in over a week, I was starting to feel a little dizzy. It was hard to comprehend that only hours ago I was in a psychiatric ward trying to forget about Finnick, and now I was holding his hand about to enter the Christmas Ball. I was beginning to wonder if any of this was even real.

Of all the things rushing through my mind, however, only one thought really stuck. "Finnick." I said, stopping suddenly. "I don't know how to dance."

"Well lucky for you, I've training for occasions such as these my whole life." he smiled.

"What if they laugh at me?" I said quietly.

"Why would they laugh at you?" Finnick looked into my eyes. "You're beautiful."

That was a lie of course. I looked silly, in a ballroom dress and sneakers, with bandages and a hospital bracelet around my wrists. Everyone was going to make fun of me. This was a mistake. I should leave Finnick and run away now. Go back to Brooklyn for my fresh start. Forget all about this place.

Stop.

I knew that I was doing this to myself- talking myself out of situations and making myself feel worse. Dr Aurelius said I needed to 'outsmart my mind' by thinking positively about myself and the world, but was so hard not to doubt myself in a place like that.

I realised Finnick was staring at me, and a strange thing happened. It started with his eyes, those green eyes that took away all the bad thoughts from my mind. His smile pulled me back to the reality of the moment and made me sure that this was one hundred percent real. The way his hand squeezed mine reminded me that we were in this together. As we took the first steps towards the ball, I thought that maybe Finnick would be the one to keep me sane, too.

* * *

**A/N: **This was part one of the ball, more to come next chapter!


	14. Tongue Tied

_Katniss' POV_

I had been at the ball only one hour and already I had had enough. It was a beautiful setting though- the hall was decorated beautifully with wreaths and the smell of pine trees filled the room, and in the centre students danced to music I had never heard before. So far I had managed to avoid Cashmere, but I saw some of her friends shoot me angry glances as I got up to get more punch.

Peeta and I were sitting together at one of the round tables, watching the dance floor. We were trying to pick the worst dancers of the group, and I smiled when I noticed Cashmere at last. She was dancing with Brutus and had an unimpressed look on her face when he stood on her foot. I turned to Peeta and laughed.

"We would be _much_ better dancers." Peeta remarked.

"Oh yeah?"

"Do you want to try and prove me wrong?" Peeta smiled.

"Nice try."

Since we had arrived he had been trying to convince me to dance with him, but so far I had managed to avoid the dance floor. Unlike Peeta, who had been at events like this since he was born, I had no idea how to dance at all, and there was no way tonight was going to be the night to début my dance moves to the school. Especially not in the heels I was wearing.

"Oh well, I guess I'll just sit here and admire you then." Peeta sat back in his chair, and pleased look on his face. I rolled my eyes, but was secretly glad that he liked the way I looked tonight.

While focused on the dance floor, I kept flicking my eyes towards the doors of the hall in case I spotted Finnick arrive. So far he was yet to make an appearance, and I wondered if he was going to turn up at all, and if Annie would be with him if he did.

I suddenly heard someone come up behind us and turned to see a grinning Finnick leading a terrified Annie towards the table.

"Hello friends!" Finnick greeted us. "The guest of honour has arrived." He motioned to Annie, who rolled her eyes.

"Hey, we wondering if you two were going to make it." Peeta replied cheerfully.

Finnick was practically bouncing when he walked as he pulled out Annie's chair for her and the two of them sat down opposite us.

"Don't blame me, Annie took _forever_ to get ready." Finnick pretended to moan.

"More like it took you forever to convince me to come." Annie laughed. She looked towards Peeta and I. "You know, for someone who's apparently _so_ charming, he's not all that persuasive."

It was lovely to see how happy both Finnick and Annie were. Finnick couldn't stop smiling at his date, and kept hold of her hand tightly. Annie seemed happy too, and it was nice that she was so relaxed around us all.

"Peeta, how about the two of us get some more punch?" Finnick suggested. I guessed Finnick wanted to fill in his best friend on his night so far.

Peeta kissed me on the top of my head before getting up with Finnick. To be honest, I was a little hesitant about being alone with Annie because I hardly knew her and I was never good at small talk. For a moment she seemed lost in thought as she watched the dance floor.

"I can't believe I'm actually here." Annie said softly. Here, as in at the ball? With Finnick? Still alive? I decided not to ask her to clarify.

"Me neither." I said.

"I'm guessing this wasn't your idea to go to the ball." Annie observed.

"God no." I replied. "But Peeta kind of had to."

"I get it." Annie said. "This isn't really my thing either." We were quiet for a moment before Annie spoke again. "Isn't it strange how just a few streets can completely change a person? Two blocks south of the Upper East Side and no one cares what brand of clothes you're wearing or what your great grandfather did for work. What is it about an address that gives someone a totally different value system?"

It was the same thing I had been asking myself since I started at The Capitol School, and it was comforting to know that Annie wondered about the same thing. Before I could reply, Finnick and Peeta returned with the punch, and we slipped into comfortable conversation once again.

"You know, I think it's time for a dance." Finnick announced. He stood up and offered Annie his hand. "My lady?"

Annie laughed and joined him standing up. "Are you two coming?"

"Oh, I don't know…" I trailed off. "I'm not a good dancer."

"Come on, Katniss!" Finnick exclaimed.

"Don't worry, neither am I." Annie reassured me. "Stand next to me and I'll make you look amazing in comparison."

"Hey!" Finnick laughed. "There is no way anyone could look bad if they're standing next to my handsome self!"

I turned to Peeta, and I could tell he wanted me to agree. Sighing, I stood and the four of us walked towards the dance floor.

No one must have noticed Finnick and Annie enter the hall, because as soon as they made their way towards the crowd of students, whispers echoed around the hall as people pointed and stared at the two of them. I watched as panic crossed Annie's face as she wasn't used to the attention, but Finnick kept a hold of her hand and whispered something to her that made her relax a little. As they started to dance, they looked at each other as if no one else existed.

Although I was glad a little of the attention was off me, I still felt self conscious as Peeta and I swayed together, amongst the other couples.

"So, are you still hating it?" Peeta asked.

"Hmm maybe not so much."

"Don't worry, there's still time to sneak off later." Peeta winked at me.

I looked across at Finnick and Annie again, who were laughing together despite all the looks they were getting. People seemed genuinely shocked by Finnick's transformation and many of the girls were watching them with jealousy. I also noticed how people's eyes seemed to drift towards Annie's wrists. However, I couldn't help but feel a little jealous too, watching how easy it was for them to be together in front of everyone, as though they didn't care at all.

Finnick was saying something to Annie over and over, that was making her smile. As he got louder she laughed but tried to put her hand over his mouth to stop him. "I love you!" I eventually realised he was saying. He was getting louder still, and people were beginning to stop dancing and watch them. Finnick looked around and saw the attention he and Annie we getting and grinned at her, even though she was trying to shush him.

"Finnick Odair is in love!" Finnick called out to the entire dance floor, and Annie buried her head in his chest, embarrassed. She stayed like that though, resting her head against him as the moved together. As he kissed the top of her head, they looked the perfect picture of happiness despite all the stares they were receiving.

I looked back to Peeta, who was watching them too. I suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Did he wish we could be as open with our relationship as they were? I hated all the gossip and the stares that Peeta and I received, so we avoided any physical contact at school, keeping our relationship as private as possible. I hated the fact that I let other people get to me so much, and maybe we should follow Finnick and Annie's lead and stop caring what anyone thought. I'm sure Cashmere would love that.

* * *

It was nearing the end of the ball, when I left my table to find the bathroom. As soon as I was washing my hands, I heard the door open and suddenly Cashmere appeared behind me. For a moment she said nothing, fixing her hair in the mirror.

"You look nice tonight, Katniss." she began in an overly pleasant voice.

"Thank you." I replied, trying to remain civil.

"I see you didn't take my advice and stay away from here tonight." She kept up the pleasant tone, looking at me in the mirror.

"I see you didn't take my advice and get over Peeta." I said cooly.

"Oh Katniss." Cashmere smiled at me. "You think you're _so_ clever don't you, trying to beat me at my own games?"

"No, I just don't appreciate my relationship being the main topic of conversation amongst you and your little followers."

"Well lucky for you, I have a new piece of gossip to take its place."

"And what is that?" I had a feeling it wasn't good, whatever it was.

"I took a little trip to your neighbourhood yesterday." Cashmere continued to fix her hair while I stared at her. "I found out some _very_ interesting things."

"Like what?" I could feel panic rising in me.

"Does the name 'Seam' ring any bells?" she smiled as my eyes widened.

"Why?" I said quickly.

"Oh, I found quite a few people who knew that name well, and were more than happy to tell me all about your little gang with- what was his name? Gale?"

I said nothing, and she started to laugh. "Looks like the Upper East Side isn't the only place people like to gossip."

"You don't know anything about that." I snapped.

"Oh really?" Cashmere turned to me. "So I don't know anything about your little criminal history then? Someone told me that you have quite the talent for thievery."

"That was a long time ago." I told her.

"Well I heard that your friend Gale is just one conviction away from prison, and I bet there is a _whole line_ of people willing to turn you in too."

That was true. While Gale and I had never been caught by the police for the items that we stole, there were many gangs like our Seam gang that were hoping to see us go down. We were always the best, and seeing as we had never been caught, we had made a lot of enemies in our younger years. Not only that, Gale had been in trouble in the past for fighting on the streets, and I had warned him time and time again that the next time he got caught, he wouldn't just get a warning. The police liked to make an example of our gangs to the younger kids in our area, and now that Gale was eighteen, there was no doubt that the police would be happy to see him behind bars.

"Cashmere, what do you want from me?" I wanted to get to the point. It was true, I couldn't beat Cashmere at her games, she was way too good. I just wanted to know where I stood.

"Well, at first I wanted you to stay away from Peeta." She smiled. "But now I want to see you go down. You don't belong here, Katniss Everdeen, and I'm going to make sure the whole city knows what you've done." With that, she left me standing alone in the bathroom.

I took me several minutes to compose myself, before I could even think about going back to the ball. I'd assumed that Cashmere was only making empty threats, but the fact that she actually went into my neighbourhood scared me. I had a feeling that Cashmere was serious now, and I had no idea what to do.

When I returned to the table, I tried to act as normal as possible, but Peeta immediately noticed that something was wrong.

"Hey, are you okay?" Peeta asked, concerned. "You look pale."

"Oh yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine." I said, not meeting his eye.

"Are you sure?"

Internally I sighed. Peeta was way too good for me. I said nothing, but nodded.

"Okay, because we were thinking of leaving early, and going back to my place." Peeta said.

"Great!" I said, relieved. We had planned to do this anyway, and I had a brought a change of clothes with me, but at that moment I wanted nothing more than to get out of that place and away from Cashmere.

I tried to act like nothing was wrong, as the four of us piled into the limousine waiting outside. I laughed along with Peeta as Finnick and Annie playfully argued about who was the better swimmer, and smiled as much as I could when Peeta's hand found mine. However, I couldn't stop worrying about what Cashmere had just discovered.

* * *

Peeta's apartment was dark and silent when we arrived, just as the clock struck midnight. We tried to stay as quiet as we could as Peeta led us to his bedroom down the hall.

When Peeta switched on the light, I realised I had never seen his room before, and I was surprised by how neat and organised it was. His clothes were stacked neatly in his wardrobe, and the wall behind his desk was covered in an orderly display of study notes. The only exception was the desk itself, which was strewn with rough sketches of cakes to be decorated and coloured pencils lying around.

Finnick flopped down on Peeta's bed as if it was his own, pulling Annie down on top of him.

"Finnick!" she giggled, as he kissed her. She looked over at us, embarrassed, but Finnick wasn't fazed.

"I'll go get some extra blankets." Peeta said, "Hope you don't mind sleeping on the floor."

"I don't care where I sleep, as long as I'm with Annie." Finnick joked. Although his tone was light, I really believed him.

"What, I can't stay here!" Annie said, "I have to go back to the hospital- the nurses will freak out if they find out I'm not there."

"Oh come on, Annie, we can go back in the morning." Finnick whined.

"But what if we get caught?" Annie persisted, biting her lip.

"Don't worry." Finnick laughed, "I've got those nurses totally under control."

Annie rolled her eyes. "I don't know, Finnick…"

"Please, Annie!" Finnick begged playfully, "Just one night? I'll have you back there first thing tomorrow morning."

I could tell that Annie desperately wanted to stay with Finnick, I mean, she was still holding tightly onto his hand. Finally, she gave in. "Fine, but don't you _dare_ sleep in."

Peeta returned, his arms piled high with blankets and pillows. He dropped them to the ground, pretending they weighed a hundred tonnes. Finnick and Annie got to work setting up their bed in the empty space on the floor.

Peeta looked at me shyly. "I can sleep on the floor too, if you'd like."

"What, no." I replied. "That's not fair. You can sleep in your bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

"Unless you'd like to sleep in my bed too." Peeta suggested cheekily.

I laughed. I supposed there was no harm in it, it wasn't as though anything was going to happen tonight, but the idea still scared me a little. I wished I could be as open with Peeta and Annie and Finnick were with each other, but I was still getting used to the idea of being in a relationship, and letting another person in. This kind of closeness was something I had never experienced.

Peeta and Finnick got changed out of their suits first, and while they said we had to turn our backs, Finnick insisted that Annie was definitely sneaking a look at him. However, I was still too distracted by Cashmere's comments to even consider turning around.

"Finnick, you didn't bring anything for me to sleep in, did you?" Annie asked.

"Hmm, looks like I forgot that too." Finnick quickly pulled off the t-shirt he was wearing and handed it to Annie. "Here, you can wear this."

Annie rolled her eyes. "You _so_ planned that."

Finnick gave Annie a wink as she stood. I walked with her across the hall, and we got changed in the bathroom opposite Peeta's bedroom.

"This is so great." Annie said happily, playing with the fabric of Finnick's t-shirt that was way too big for her. "I'm so glad Finnick convinced me to go with him." She paused for a moment. "Sorry if we make you uncomfortable, Finnick isn't is always exactly modest."

I laughed. "Don't worry about it."

"I like that you and Peeta are more private about your relationship." Annie told me honestly. "They way Peeta looks at you- he really, really likes you."

"Thanks, Annie." I said, blushing a little. "I'm really glad that you're here."

We went back into Peeta's room, and Annie comfortably lay down next to Finnick on the floor. I could hear them whispering to each other, but couldn't quite make out the words as I gingerly got into bed next to Peeta.

"Good night." Peeta said sweetly, kissing me softly.

"Good night." I replied, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep, not after what had happened with Cashmere.

At around four o'clock, I decided to get out of bed and get a drink of water. I hadn't slept at all, and I was starting to go crazy. As quietly as I could, I got out of bed and tiptoed passed Finnick and Annie, who were wrapped up in each other's arms, fast asleep.

I was nearly finished the glass of water, when I heard someone enter the kitchen. I spun around and saw Peeta's mother standing in front of me.

"I'm sorry." I said quickly, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You're Peeta's girlfriend, right?" His mother said in reply. "Scholarship girl."

"Umm yep, that's me."

"I dated a boy that wasn't from around here once." His mother began, unexpectedly. "I didn't work out, and I knew it never would. My advice, get out now. You don't belong here."

I was speechless for a moment, I had not expected this conversation. I gulped loudly and put the empty glass down. "I've got to get back to bed." I quickly left the kitchen.

As I got back into bed, I was almost completely consumed by panic. Even though he was asleep, Peeta's arms automatically wrapped around my waist, and I felt so guilty that I was seriously considering what his mother had said. Cashmere and Peeta's mother were right, I didn't belong here, and I was way out of my depth. Maybe I should just leave this place, go back to my old school and forget all about Peeta. That way no one would get hurt- Peeta, Gale or myself.


	15. Winter Song

**A/N: **This chapter is a little bit longer than usual, but I just love writing about Finnick and Annie, haha. The next few chapters with have some more Everlark and Gale though!

* * *

_Finnick's_ POV

Today was going to be a good day. Today, Annie was allowed to leave the hospital. I woke up early, and was waiting in the foyer of the hospital by ten o'clock. Finally, Annie appeared from the elevator, walking in between her aunt and her uncle.

"Finnick!" she exclaimed, when she saw me waiting for her. I jumped up immediately and crossed to her.

"Free at last!" I said happily, hugging her tightly.

"Annie, what's going on here?" Annie's aunt said, her arms crossed over her chest. I'd forgotten that I wasn't exactly her favourite person, after our several conversations on the phone.

"Didn't I tell you?" Annie said to her. "Finnick and I are still together."

Annie's aunt glared at me for a moment, before she and Annie's uncle pulled her aside for a moment. I couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but I'm sure they were trying to warn Annie to stay away from me. Honestly, I didn't blame them, but they had no idea about us.

Eventually Annie returned, still smiling at me. "So what are you doing here?"

"I may have something planned." I said, trying to be mysterious.

"Oh really?" Annie said, raising her eyebrows. She turned to her aunt and uncle, "Thanks so much for coming, but would I be able to go with Finnick?"

"Well if he has something _planned_." Annie's aunt said sarcastically, clearly not impressed.

"You better be good to her." Annie's uncle pointed at me sternly, "I'm warning you."

They walked away, leaving Annie and I alone in the foyer. She beamed at me.

"So what's this plan then?" she asked.

"Ever been ice skating in Central Park?"

"No, are you serious?" Annie asked excitedly, "Let's go!"

Annie grabbed my hand and took the first steps out of the hospital laughing, and I thought that was a good sign. As we rode the subway to Central Park, I couldn't help but smile at her. Since she had agreed to go to the ball with me, I couldn't shake how happy I felt.

We walked hand in hand through the park, our breath making fog in the chilly air. Annie looked ridiculously cute in the coat, gloves and scarf she had on, and it was taking a lot of control not to make out with her there and then.

"Finnick! Annie!" I heard a voice shout, and we both turned to see Katniss and Peeta walking towards us.

"Hey, guys." I said, "Fancy seeing you here."

Peeta and I had of course arranged this, even though I never that I would ever go on a double date. However, the main reason for it stemmed from a conversation I had had with Peeta the day after the ball.

Annie and I left Peeta's apartment so early in the morning the sun wasn't even up, and we did our best to not wake anyone. Later, Peeta called me, concerned that Katniss hadn't had a good time with him at the ball. To be honest, I had been too distracted by Annie to notice if Katniss was acting strangely, but if you asked me, they looked pretty cosy together in bed when Annie and I left.

I thought that Peeta was over analysing the situation, but I supposed that it would be a bit of fun to have a group outing. Annie looked pleased with our company, and we happily walked towards the skating rink, where people were already sliding across the ice together.

"You look kind of scared, Finnick." Annie joked, as she put on the ice skates.

"I am _not_ scared." I replied. "I have many talents, but unfortunately ice skating is just not one of them."

I hadn't been ice skating since I was a child. Mags took me once and I was so terrible at it I vowed never to set foot on ice again. Peeta however, was pretty good at it, and I think he took any chance he got to impress Katniss. I would definitely not be impressing Annie, that was for sure, but maybe I could make her laugh at little.

"Well lucky for you, I've been training for events such as these my whole life." Annie said, mirroring what I had said to her at the ball.

She took my hand and together we stepped out onto the ice. I wobbled immediately, grabbing hold of the railing for dear life.

Annie giggled. "Wow, you really are bad." She started to skate off gracefully.

"Annie!" I cried out as I clung to the railing. "Don't leave me!"

"Come and get me, Finnick!" Annie said cheekily.

I sighed. Only Annie Cresta could make me want to humiliate myself in public just for her. Cringing already, I took my hands off the railing and slowly made my way across the rink. I was wobbling like crazy, but I managed not to fall down as I skated towards Annie. Just as I was about to reach her though, she laughed and skated away again. Laughing too, I quickened my pace to try and catch her. However, I was going way too fast and was quickly out of control. I had no idea how to stop, and waving my arms around was in no way helping as I was fast approaching Annie. I tried to call out to her but it was no use, and the next thing I knew I had slammed right into her. We fell to the ground, her on top of me, and I was glad I softened her fall even though I was struggling to breathe.

"Ughhh." I moaned. "Everything hurts."

I groaned in pain but Annie laughed, giving me a kiss.

"Better?" she asked softly.

I kissed her again. "Much better."

"Wow that was really something." Peeta joked, skating up to us. He had Katniss by the hand, but she was struggling to stay upright just as much as I had been.

"Give us hand, will you?" I said, holding my hand out to Peeta. He went to pull me up, but I stayed put, dragging him to the ground with me. Still holding his hand, Katniss went down too.

It must have been quite a sight, the four of us collapsed on the ice together laughing so hard it hurt. I would have preferred just to stay there, despite the cold, but we were getting annoyed looks from the people skating by us. Eventually we managed to stand again, as ungraceful as I'm sure I looked, floundering around to reach the railing.

"Come on, you." Annie said smiling. She took my hand and I managed to make it around the rink only falling once.

"Save me, Annie, save me!" I called out to her, as I struggled to stand once again.

"You are ridiculous." she grinned, helping me up.

I heard Katniss squeal Peeta's name, and we turned to see Katniss starting to flail by Peeta's side. He managed to stop her from falling, and the two of them slowly made their way over to us.

"You know what, I think I'm going to stand here for a moment." Katniss said, trying to make her way over to the railings.

"Me too." I agreed.

"Oh come on, Finnick!" Annie said playfully, skating around me in circles.

"Ah you're making me dizzy!" I exclaimed, trying to reach Katniss on the edge of the rink.

"What do you say we show these two how it's done? Peeta said to Annie.

"You're on!" she laughed, skating away.

I watched them for a moment, before turning to Katniss.

"This was a terrible idea." I said, rotating my aching wrist around in a circle.

"Finally, something Finnick Odair isn't good at." Katniss laughed. "Annie looks happy, though."

She was right. Even from the other side of the rink, I could hear Annie's laugh as she and Peeta chased after each other. On the ice she looked completely carefree. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"Peeta too." I observed. "So how are things between you and baker boy?"

"Okay." Katniss replied, trying to not smile.

"Oh come on Katniss, you've got to give me more than that!" I laughed, "You know I like secrets."

She rolled her eyes. "I thought Peeta would have filled you in."

"Sadly, your boyfriend is just as secretive as you are." I replied. "You guys are no fun." It was true, Peeta only told me about the things he was worried about, nothing else. No fun at all.

"Well what about you and Annie?" Katniss asked, turning the conversation around.

"Oh, I never kiss and tell." I laughed.

Annie and Peeta returned, and Annie skated right into my arms and kissed me.

"Miss me?" she asked.

"You know I did." I replied.

Thankfully, Peeta and Annie decided not to put Katniss and I through any more torture, and we carefully left the ice rink. As we walked through Central Park, Annie wrapped her arm around mine, and gave me a smile that I knew meant that she was really, really happy.

"Hey Finnick!" Peeta called out from behind us, "Could I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure!" I called back. As Katniss hurried to catch up to Annie, I whispered to her, "Maybe I will get those secrets after all."

Peeta and I hung back, walking slowly as Katniss and Annie walked ahead of us.

"What did you get Annie for Christmas?" Peeta asked. Ah, the dreaded first Christmas as a couple. I had struggled with what to give Annie, but in the end I settled for something that I knew would make her roll her eyes, but smile all the same.

"Just some poems I've been working on." I told Peeta casually.

"Poems?" Peeta said incredulously.

"Yes!" I said defensively, "I'm the next big thing in the poetry world, didn't you know?"

"Sure, whatever you say." Peeta joked.

"Well what did you get Katniss?"

"That's the thing- I don't know!" Peeta moaned. "We agreed not to spend over $40, but I seriously have no idea."

"Hmm that's a tricky one." I said, and then I started to grin. "You could always give her _the gift_."

"_The gift_?" Peeta questioned.

"You know- _the gift_." I raised my eyebrows, hinting seductively.

"Oh." Peeta said, his face going red as he understood what I was suggesting.

"Unless you have already." I said quickly. Maybe I was going to get some secrets out of Peeta after all.

"What? No." Peeta replied, still red. "We haven't even talked about it."

"Ah, I see." I said.

"Well have you and Annie…_you know_?"

"No, not yet." I chuckled.

Honestly, after everything that had happened with Annie in the passed month, I hadn't even thought about sleeping with her. I'd been enjoying just being with her, getting to know her, talking to her, and I didn't want to rush things. I was sick of girls only wanting me for one thing, and I knew that Annie wasn't like that. She wanted to be with me because of who I was, and because of that and I wanted to do things properly, and take it as slow, because no one had ever wanted to take it slow with me before.

My conversation with Peeta ended when we arrived at a small café for lunch, not too unlike the place Annie and I usually visited. I slid in next to her at the booth, happy to be able to hold her hand again, and once again I was taken back by how much I was enjoying this double date. We talked happily over our meals, Peeta recounting a skiing trip gone wrong and Annie once again making fun of the sugar in the coffee. At the end of the lunch, we said goodbye, and I took the subway with Annie to Brooklyn.

"Would you like to come in?" Annie asked, when we arrived at her apartment. "I want to give you your Christmas present."

"Oh, well how could I say no?" I smiled, as she led me inside.

Annie's aunt and uncle weren't at home. "Must be doing some last minute Christmas shopping. We're having Christmas here this year." Annie told me, as she led me through the small apartment.

I was immediately in love with Annie's home. Unlike mine, which was neat and styled by a professional, Annie's apartment was bursting with colour and life, from the family pictures on the wall to the homemade decorations on the Christmas tree. Annie's bedroom was no different. Family photos of a small, grinning Annie covered her bedside table, and a collection of stuffed animals lined the top of her wardrobe. She had a pile of books stacked on her desk, and the bookshelf was full with even more.

"My room is kind of childish." she admitted.

"No, it's perfect." I told her. "You are seriously the cutest."

I could see her blush as she took a small gift bag out of her cupboard. She sat down on her bed and motioned for me to join her.

"Can I go first?" I asked.

"Sure." Annie replied, trying not to smile.

I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the bundle of pages I had folded and tied together with a red ribbon. "For you." I said, "Merry Christmas."

She gave me a confused look as she undid the ribbon and took a look at the poems I had written her.

"It's not much." I shrugged.

"Wow, I never thought a guy would ever write me poetry." Annie laughed. "Thank you Finnick, you're adorable."

"Finnick Odair is not adorable." I argued playfully. "Handsome and strong though…"

"Oh please." Annie rolled her eyes, just like I thought she would.

She looked shy for a moment, before she gave me the little gift bag. I looked inside to find it full of the little pink 'I Love You' candy hearts I had once given her. I looked at her.

"I didn't say it to you at the hospital…because I was scared to trust you." she admitted quietly. "But I felt it then, I still do now." She looked at me confidently, "I love you, Finnick."

I was smiling so much it hurt. "And I love you."

It surprised me just how great it felt to say that to Annie, because I had never felt like that about anyone before. I loved Annie and she loved me. Annie Cresta loved me! I felt almost dizzy with happiness.

This was all too much for me to handle, and I moved closer to kiss her. She didn't seem to want to stop, and we fell back onto her bed, kissing more passionately than we ever had before. I was totally consumed by her- the smell of her perfume, the softness of her lips…Suddenly my conversation with Peeta came back into my mind and I realised just how attracted I was to Annie, and how much I loved her. Wow, I thought, I really want to sleep with this girl.

Annie paused for a moment, her eyes searching my face. I wondered if she knew what I was thinking or, more importantly, if she was thinking the same thing.

"Finnick." she began, "Is this going where I think it's going?"

I sat up a little. "Only if you want it to."

She sat up all the way and I followed. "I do…want this." she said slowly. "But not just yet." She looked at me. "It's just, I never been with anyone like this before, and you've had so much more experience…" She looked sad. "Sorry if you're disappointed."

I tried not to laugh at the absurdity of what she had said. How could I ever be disappointed? I had never expected it to happen so soon. "Annie, I'm not disappointed!" I said, taking her hands in mine. "It's enough just being with you at all…after everything I did. There's no rush." I pulled her into my arms.

"You really mean that?" she asked softly.

"Yes, silly." I said, kissing her again. "How about one of those candy hearts, then?"

As Annie and I settled against her pillows, eating candy hearts together, I knew that there was nowhere else I would rather be.

* * *

Christmas came and went for another year. Every year we stayed for a few nights at my grandparent's mansion in the Hamptons, and I usually did my best to avoid them. The holiday season was often their prime time to question me about my future. As expected, my parents filled my grandparents in on how 'unsuitable' Annie was for me, but I couldn't care less. So apart from my family trying to organise my life, Christmas was a pretty boring affair, and I spent the day entertaining my younger cousins with the awful jokes inside the Christmas crackers. For the rest of the time, I counted down the days until New Years Eve, when I would be reunited with Annie.

Finally it was New Years Eve, and Annie and I were headed to Katniss' low key New Years Eve party, which the threw every year with her friend Gale, apparently. I was relieved not to have to spend another night with my parent's rich friends sipping champagne, or at some stupid party with the rest of my year level, but it was a little tricky navigating Katniss' neighbourhood. I was fairly sure we were completely lost, but Annie was adamant we were only just around the corner. It was lucky, because it was getting pretty dark and we were already ten minutes late.

As we went to cross the road, a car was speeding down the road so close to the curb we had to jump back to avoid being run over. At the same time, another car tried to turn into the street and the two cars instantly collided with each other. It happened so fast I couldn't process it all at once, but all I was really aware of was the popping sound as the cars rammed into each other, followed by the terrible sounds of grinding metal and shattering glass. Luckily no one was injured, but at once the two drivers got out of their cars and started to loudly abuse each other.

I knew that I didn't want to stick around to see what would happen, so I tugged on Annie's hand to pull her away. However, she was frozen on the spot. I started to panic when I saw the vacant look on her face as she stared at the cars.

"Annie?" I asked hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

"No, no, no…" she started to mutter, putting her hands over her ears. She turned her head quickly to face me and all of a sudden she was running down the street the way we came. I chased after her, panic rising quickly in my stomach.

"Annie, Annie, it's okay." I tried to pull her into my arms but she fought me off, as tears started streaming down her face. Where ever she was in her mind, she was definitely not in the street with me.

I had no idea what to do, and my heart was breaking that I couldn't help her.

"Annie shhhh." I said softly. "It's okay. You're okay. You're safe, I'm here." I repeated that over and over until it finally got through to her. Her face crumpled as she threw her arms around me and sobbed into my shoulder.

It took her fifteen minutes to calm down enough to speak. We sat down on the curb and I kept my arms around her until she stopped shaking, although her lip still trembled. She looked up at me, her hair stuck to her cheeks from her tears and eye liner smudged, but she looked up at _me _all the same, and I knew she was back to reality again.

"I'm sorry." Annie said, her voice breaking. "I had a flashback to the accident."

"It's okay." I said, holding her tight.

"No, it's not." She pulled away. "I didn't want you to see me like that. You probably think I'm mad."

"I don't think that at all, Annie." I said honestly. "But do you still want to go tonight? Maybe we should go back to your place."

Annie shook her head, looking more and more confident in herself by the second. "I still want to go." she told me. "Maybe we could just stay here a while?"

"Of course." I said.

It was absolutely freezing, but somehow next to Annie, I didn't feel cold at all. I would have stayed in that spot all night, if it made her feel alright again. It's not like I could ever forget what Annie had been through, but seeing her like that made me realise just how much it had affected her. I suddenly felt so protective of her, and I hoped I could make her feel safe forever.

* * *

Katniss' party was in full swing by the time we arrived. I immediately felt so comfortable at the relax atmosphere, and it was completely different to any party I had ever experienced. Paper lanterns were strung up across the window and the dining room table was full of delicious home made food. It was a small gathering, and as well as us, Katniss had invited Johanna, Delly and Madge from school. Also at the party were her friend Gale and his siblings, and another man who spent the whole night drinking in the corner and looking unhappy.

Katniss and Peeta greeted us excitedly, both wearing over the top New Years hats.

"Glad you finally turned up!" Katniss exclaimed. Before we had a chance to even formulate a response, Katniss was suddenly distracted. "Hang on, I just saw Prim and Rory disappear into our room again."

Peeta left us to get some food, but before long Johanna appeared beside us.

"Well, well, well. The infamous Finnick Odair _actually_ has a girlfriend." Johanna said, smirking. "Never thought that day would come."

"Oh Johanna, I see the New Year hasn't made you any more pleasant." I replied.

Johanna and I had known each other since kindergarten, and she had always enjoyed making my life as difficult as possible, right back to when she made me each sand in first grade after I wouldn't let her play basketball with me. Despite her angry exterior, Johanna was actually a pretty fun girl, and I enjoyed our banter.

"I'm glad people are finally seeing that there is a lot more to you, Finnick." Annie said thoughtfully, once Johanna walked off.

"I know right, I'm much more than a pretty face." I joked.

"Oh yes, you have many talents." she laughed. "Not ice skating though. Or poetry writing."

"Hey! Those poems came straight from my heart, I'm offended." I pretended to act hurt.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset the _wonderful_ Finnick Odair." Annie joked.

"To you that's Finnick Odair, poet extraordinaire."

"Wow, that even rhymed." Annie laughed, "I take back what I said."

"Thank you." I said smugly, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

While Johanna found it entertaining to tease Annie and myself, what Katniss found more interesting was how much Gale seemed to be enjoying talking to Madge. It was obvious from the way she was looking at him that she was definitely developing a crush, but from what I'd heard from Peeta, a sweet girl from the Upper East Side wasn't exactly Gale's type. Regardless, the two seemed to be having a good time.

"Okay it's 11.59!" Johanna yelled out, and we all started the countdown to midnight. Once it reached twelve o'clock, we all called out "Happy New Year" and popped streamers into the air.

I looked at Annie and gave her a gentle kiss. As she kept hold of my hand tightly in hers, I had a feeling that this was going to be the best year of my life.


	16. Stay Stay Stay

_Katniss' POV_

The New Year seemed like the best time to try and work things out with Gale. Things had gotten worse and worse between us since I started at The Capitol School, and now we hardly spoke. I took it as a good sign that he still agreed to host our traditional New Years Eve party with me, even though he barely looked at me while we set up, and avoided me all together once Peeta arrived.

Once I finished work for the day, I bought a large pepperoni pizza, Gale's favourite, and prepared to knock on the door of his apartment. It took a few second, but eventually he opened the door, standing in front of me with a confused look on his face.

"Urgent Seam meeting required." I said.

It was a little code we had used for years, and Gale immediately understood that I was asking him to join me on the roof of the apartment. I could tell he was conflicted about whether to come or not.

Finally he called to his mother, "I'll be back later!"

We walked in silence up the remaining flights of stairs to the roof of our apartment, which offered an amazing view of the city. We sat in our usual spot, with our backs against air duct box, and I offered him a slice of pizza. I realised I hadn't actually thought of what to say to him once we were up there, but luckily Gale was the one to speak first.

"I've been an asshole." He said, partly apologetic and partly just stating a fact.

"Yeah, but it's okay." I replied.

"No, it's not." He returned.

"I don't want to fight with you anymore." I told him honestly.

He was quiet for a moment. "Me neither."

"So what do we do now?"

"Well first I have to apologise for everything I said." Gale began. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I know you aren't turning into an Upper East Sider, I just hated the idea that they were going to change you, or that you would like that world better. I should have known that would never happen." He looked at me, "And to tell you the truth, Peeta is actually a really nice guy. That made it a lot harder to hate him."

"I felt the same way when I first met him." I laughed.

Gale laughed. "So how about we just forget everything I said because I was a total idiot and I'm sorry."

"Forgotten already." I smiled. "I'm sorry too, I guess I did get a bit caught up in everything at school. I've missed hanging out with you."

Gale put his arm around me, just like he used to. "Me too, Catnip."

We were quiet again, while we ate some more of the pizza. Again, Gale was the first to break the silence.

"So, are things getting pretty serious with you and Peeta then?" The way he asked wasn't icy like he had been in the past, instead, he was genuinely interested. I felt so much more comfortable knowing that whatever Gale's feelings towards me were, or had been, he had accepted my relationship with Peeta.

"I guess so." I said. "It's still a little hard getting used to how different our lives are, but it's okay."

"That's great, Katniss." He said earnestly. "I just want you to be happy, that's what I've always wanted."

"I know." I told him, "You've always looked out for me."

"Well, once a Seam, always a Seam." He mirrored my words from my first day at The Capitol School.

I felt a pang of guilt, thinking back to my conversation with Cashmere. I knew I should tell Gale about what had happened, and warn him about being careful for the time being, but things between us were finally good again and I didn't want to ruin it. I decided I would tell him soon, though.

"Sooo." I said to change the subject. "I couldn't help but notice you and Madge at the party the other night."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gale tried to hide his smile.

"Oh come on, Gale." I exclaimed, "You've _got_ to give me something."

"Madge is a nice girl." Gale shrugged. "I had a good time talking to her."

"_And_?" I persisted.

"And nothing!" Gale said.

"Do you like her?"

"I don't know!" Gale exclaimed.

"You _so_ do."

"Do not." Gale said stubbornly.

"Fine." I smirked. "Do you want her number?"

Gale paused for a moment. "Yes, please." He said quickly.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Only if you admit that you like her."

"Okay fine!" Gale laughed. "Maybe I could _potentially_ see myself possibly liking Madge."

I shrugged. "Close enough."

This was good. Gale and I were talking again, and not only talking, but having a nice time. It felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off my shoulders when I realised that I could have my time with Peeta on the Upper East Side and know that Gale would always be there too.

* * *

Screw Cashmere, I thought, when I entered school on the first day back for the year. So far she had been all talk and no action, and I was sick of letting her control the way I acted at school. I was done caring about what any one thought, and I hated how self conscious they had made me feel. It wasn't fair to Peeta, and I wasn't going to let Cashmere stand in the way of my relationship with him. So as I walked through the halls, I didn't listen to the things people were saying about Peeta and I, or Finnick and Annie, for that matter.

A lot of things had changed since the Christmas Ball, and now that we were back at school, it was clear that the rumours had spread quickly around the neighbourhood regarding Annie's past. Finnick couldn't care less, and at lunch didn't sit in his usual place in the courtyard, instead he slid in next to me at the table Johanna, Delly, Madge and I were sharing.

"Hello, you lovely ladies." Finnick said cheerfully, putting a pink candy heart into his mouth.

"What are you doing here, Odair?" Johanna said.

"Needed a change of scenery." He explained casually.

"Well, I almost didn't recognise you without Annie's face stuck to yours." Johanna continued. "It's seems you two have almost overtaken Katniss and Peeta on the scandal metre."

"Sitting with you might just put me on top." Finnick suggested, "Although I wouldn't want to take the spotlight away from you, Katniss."

"That won't be happening any time soon." I said more seriously than I intended, as I flashed glance at Cashmere on the opposite side of the courtyard.

"What about you, Madge?" Finnick asked, grinning. "Do you have any secrets this lot might be interested in?"

"Oh yeah, about a certain friend of Katniss'?" Johanna quickly joined in.

Madge blushed bright red. "I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to stay serious, but a smile was creeping onto her face.

"You know- that six foot tall, really attractive guy you talked to _all night_ on New Years Eve?" Johanna laughed.

"Oh Gale." Madge said casually, still trying not to smile. "I _might_ remember him."

"_And_?" I pressed, hoping that Gale had actually done something with the phone number I had given him.

"And he might have called me." Madge continued.

"And?" Johanna asked.

"We might be going to dinner this Friday." Madge was smiling widely now, and so was I. Even Finnick was smiling, and it seemed that since meeting Annie he had become The Capitol School's cupid, hoping that everyone would find their one true love. "I don't even know how he got my number." Madge added.

"Oh." I laughed. "I might have had something to do with that."

"Way to got Katniss!" Finnick laughed. "You know, we should set up a matchmaking business- Johanna, you're next!"

Johanna scoffed. "Please, I need a date just as much as you need to be any more tanned."

As I laughed along with Johanna, I realised how nice it was to be with this group that we seemed to have formed. We were an interesting bunch- the principle's daughter, the girl that always smiled, the rebel outcast, the player turned poetry writer and me, the girl on the scholarship. All that was missing from our table was Peeta, the baker and the sweetest guy I knew.

Just as I began to think about him, Peeta appeared in the courtyard and made his way over to our table.

"Peeta, just in time." Finnick said. "Johanna was making fun of my tan again."

"I had a meeting with the football coach." Peeta laughed. "I'm sorry I missed it."

Peeta locked eyes with me, and a thousand words were expressed with his face, and I knew that he was making sure I was okay today. It was almost as if we had an entire conversation in a second, unknown to the rest of the world. I suddenly jumped up, filled with a new sense of confidence and courage. I didn't care who saw me, especially not Cashmere, when I pulled Peeta closer and kissed him deeply in the middle of the courtyard.

I'm not sure how long it lasted, it could have been days, but I was suddenly aware of people whistling and laughing. We broke apart to see that most of the people in the courtyard were staring at us, including Cashmere who was glaring intently at me.

I kept my arms draped over Peeta's shoulders and felt freer than I had in months. "Want to come over to my place after school?" I asked softly.

Peeta gulped, obviously trying to stay in control of himself. "Sure, can't wait."

"Good." I said, kissing him again.

I took him by the hand and we sat down next to each other at the table. Everyone was silent for a moment, staring at us.

"Well." Finnick laughed. "That really was something!"

"They might be giving you and Annie a run for your money in terms of over the top public displays of affection." Johanna joked.

"Oh, I don't think so." Finnick smirked, biting down on another candy heart.

I was buzzing with happiness as we continued our lunch and I couldn't stop smiling at Peeta throughout. There was no need to hide how much I liked him anymore, because I didn't care who saw, and that revelation made me feel like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders, just as it had when Gale accepted that Peeta and I were together. However, I couldn't help but glance back to Cashmere's table. Immediately our eyes met, and the look on her face was pure evil as she shook her head slowly. It didn't phase me, because I was too caught up in how happy I was. I wasn't afraid of her any more, especially with Peeta sitting right by my side, and I couldn't believe that I'd ever let her get to me at all.

* * *

Prim was at the dining room table working on her homework when Peeta and I arrived at the apartment.

"Hey Prim, why don't you go and work on that with Rory?" I suggested.

Prim eyed both of us hesitantly before agreeing. She packed up her things much slower than I knew that she could, and gave me a knowing look as she left for Rory's apartment.

"Sooo…." Peeta said. "We're alone."

"We are." I replied. It just so happened that my mother had _actually_ gone to work today. "Would you like something to drink?"

"This wasn't just as excuse for you to get me drunk and get with the guy from the bakery, right?" Peeta mocked me.

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny."

"Water would be fine." Peeta said smugly.

I poured us some water and took into my bedroom, and cautiously Peeta followed. In comparison to Peeta's organised room, mine was a mess, with furniture crammed into the tiny room, books and Prim's old toys filling every available space. Clothes were spilling out of the cupboards and Prim's mug of hot chocolate from that morning was still on the bed side table.

I realised I hadn't really thought the whole 'inviting Peeta over' idea through properly. It was a spur of the moment decision, and I wished I'd had the forethought to clean up a bit. I'd also wished I'd made my intentions clearer to him. I doubted that Peeta thought anything major was going to happen between us, but I guess inviting him into my room could have given him that idea.

"Look." I said, sitting down on my bed. "I don't want to give you the wrong idea about you being here. I just want to spend more time with you."

"That's what I want to." Peeta sat down beside me. "I liked that kiss in the courtyard."

I blushed. "I'm glad."

"So we're not avoiding each other at school anymore?" Peeta asked.

"Yep!" I said happily. "I don't care what anyone says!"

Peeta beamed. "You have no idea how great that sounds." It looked like he was about to kiss me, when he suddenly pulled away, as if he wasn't sure whether to say what he was really thinking. Finally he said slowly, "Can I be honest with you?"

"Always." I replied, a little scared.

"I was a little worried that you didn't have a good time with me at the ball. You were a little distant when we left."

"I was just overwhelmed with everything- it's not my usual Friday night." I tried to reassure him quickly. "I had a great time."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." I laughed. "How could I not? You looked _so_ good in that suit."

"Did I now?" Peeta asked softly.

Before I could reply, Peeta caught my lips in his and kissed me deeply. Since that kiss in the courtyard, I couldn't wait until we were together again, and like most times we were together, I was surprised by just how hungry I was for more, every time we parted.

I felt like a new person, some one who wasn't self conscious of my relationship anymore or afraid of the rumours. Peeta liked me, and I really, really liked him. It didn't matter than he was from the Upper East Side while I had hardly anything, it didn't matter that the whole school questioned why he was with me, it didn't matter than Cashmere didn't like it at all. All that mattered was that Peeta and I were together.

As his hands moved down my back, I was totally overwhelmed by him- how his hair was still messy, how he held me so tightly and that he smelled of baked bread and cinnamon. I felt like I wanted to stay like that with him forever. That was when I suddenly realised: I was in love with Peeta Mellark.

I broke away and searched his face for a moment. I wanted to tell him, I _had_ to tell him. From the very first day Peeta had not given up on me, doing whatever he could to make me feel comfortable in his world, and I was always the one feeling insecure or confused. I wanted him to know that I wasn't going to be distant anymore because he was the only one I wanted, because I loved him.

"Peeta, I think I'm in-" I began, but before I could finish my sentence Prim and Rory burst through the door.

"Katniss!" Prim exclaimed, extremely distressed. "It's Gale!"

"What?" I jumped up, starting to panic.

"He's been arrested!" Rory explained, his voice breaking.

"How?" There were so many questions I wanted to ask but my head was starting to spin.

"I don't know." Prim said, almost in tears. "He called from the police station- they have him locked up Katniss!"

"But what did he do?" I pressed. Two hysterical thirteen year olds were not the best source of information, and I was beginning to get agitated by how much I didn't know.

"He was caught breaking into a warehouse down the road. He said he was set up!" Rory cried.

I felt sick. My head was spinning and my heart was pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears. Gale was being held at the police station. He had already been in trouble before, and this was not going to be good. There was no way Gale would go back to theft, he promised me he wouldn't years ago, and he most definitely wouldn't have gone without me. So if he said he was set up, that only meant one thing.

Cashmere.


	17. Timebomb

**A/N:** Hi everyone, I just wanted to thank you for being be so supportive! I reached 100 reviews and I'm so happy :) The next two chapters are a bit to do with the legal system, and I know a little about how the procedures work in Australia so hopefully things aren't too different in America. So sorry if I get any details wrong, I did my best!

* * *

_Peeta's POV_

I was having trouble processing things. One second Katniss and I were making out, _really_ making out and she was about to tell me she thought she…I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say. I wanted to say it too. The next second, however, she was freaking out because Gale had just been arrested. What?

Katniss was mess, pacing around her room and asking Prim and Rory what they knew, but it was clear that they had just as much information as she did. The three of them were freaking out, and Prim looked close to tears. Rory put his arm around her, but it was obvious that he was trying not to let his true emotions show for her sake.

Katniss was talking at one hundred miles an hour. Trying to convince herself that Gale would be fine and that it wasn't that serious, but I had a feeling that there was something she wasn't telling me.

"Katniss!" I exclaimed, cutting through her thoughts. "You just need to calm down for a second."

"Calm down!" Katniss looked at me incredulously. "My best friend is behind bars and you're telling me to _calm down_?"

"We just need to think about things clearly." I said slowly. "We should go down to the police station, he'll probably be let out on bail."

It appeared that that thought hadn't dawned on any of them, and quickly we rushed out of the apartment. Katniss took the lead, directing us straight to the police station, but I knew that she wouldn't be able to talk to the police officer calmly enough as she was.

"It's okay." I said to reassure her, "I'll do the talking."

She looked relieved, and she, Prim and Rory stood back while I walked up to the front desk of the police station. Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing, my only reference being movies I had seen, so I wasn't sure if this was going to work. I tried to act as confident as I could as I began to speak.

"Hi. My name is Peeta Mellark." I said to the police woman at the front desk. "My friend got a call from Gale Hawthorne saying that he has been arrested."

"That's correct." The police woman said, her mouth a thin, stern line.

"Will he be released?" I continued, gulping back my fears.

"Gale Hawthorne has several charges, including breaking and entering and failing to co-operate. He can be released on bail, but there is a one thousand dollar surety required."

I nodded my head, my heart sinking. I returned to Katniss, Prim and Rory, who were huddled together, still trying not to cry.

"Gale can be released." I began, "But his surety is a thousand dollars."

"What does that mean?" Prim asked quickly.

"It means that one thousand dollars handed over as a promise that Gale will appear at trial. Otherwise he'll be held in custody until that day." I tried to explain it as best I could.

Katniss looked stricken, and she sunk into the chair in the waiting area. Rory started to cry at that point, and so did Prim.

"There is no way that either of our families can afford that." Katniss wailed. "Not to mention all the legal fees that will come after." She put her head in her hands, and it was killing me to see her in so much despair.

Not matter what Gale had said to me in the past, he obviously meant a lot to Katniss, and I decided that I would be the one to pay Gale's surety.

"Don't worry, Katniss." I said softly. "I'll take care of it."

Katniss looked up at me, tears in her eyes. "Peeta no- I couldn't make you do that. I got some money saved, we'll figure it out."

"Katniss, I want to do it." I replied.

"Peeta…" she tried to stop me as I turned to walk back over the desk.

"Let me do this, Katniss." I pleaded. "It's not a big deal."

I regretted saying that immediately. It _was_ a big deal. To Katniss, one thousand dollars was months worth of groceries, a year of working at the pizza place, being able to rent her apartment…If I was to withdraw one thousand dollars from my savings account, well…it would hardly make a difference. I felt awful for saying that to Katniss, but at the same time, there was no way I could stand back and let Katniss and Gale's families struggle to afford all the legal expenses. It wouldn't be right.

So I went through the process of paying the surety, and finally after what felt like years, Gale appeared in the waiting room. He was holding a plastic bag of his possessions, ink still on his fingertips and he looked tired, more than tired, as if he had just been to Hell and back. I guess in a way this situation kind of was like that.

Katniss, Prim and Rory rushed to him, and Gale seemed to collapse a little into their arms. I stayed back, just watching, because although I had just paid for Gale's release, that was their moment to make sure he was all right.

No matter what my feelings were towards Katniss, and my motivations for helping Gale out, it actually felt nice to use the money I had to help someone, as apposed to the selfish ways money was usually spent on the Upper East Side.

* * *

We rushed back to Katniss' apartment to discuss what happened. We sat around her dining room table in silence for a moment, everyone in shock at the events that had just taken place.

"Gale…" Katniss began softly. "Can you tell us what happened?"

Gale scrunched his hands into fists as he started to recount the story, which began as he walked home from his day at a building site.

"It was one of our rival gangs…as I walked passed the alley way I heard them talking so some blonde girl." He looked at Katniss, "They said your name, and were pointing to the warehouse across from them." He took a breath. "Something didn't seem right, so I was going to go warn you, but that's when I saw the girl give them a whole stack of cash, like they were working for her. So I went in to figure out what was going on."

"Why didn't you just go?" Katniss groaned in dismay.

"Because then it would be you in this situation, not me! I couldn't let that happen. You have a better chance of getting out of this place than I do."

That made me feel sick. For Gale to risk his own future for the sake of Katniss', he must really, really love her. Whether it was romantic love or friendship love, I wasn't entirely sure, but that act of sacrifice said a lot none-the-less.

Katniss looked downcast as Gale continued. "Anyway, I walked into the warehouse and realised that someone had rewired the alarm system and broken into one of the safes." He inhaled sharply. "But as I went to leave, I tripped the alarm...the police were there before I could run."

"Gale…" Katniss burying her head in her hands. "I am so sorry."

"This isn't your fault Katniss, I'm glad that it wasn't you."

"No." Katniss shook her head, and I was getting the feeling that she knew more than she wanted to admit. I was guessing it had something to do with _why_ someone was trying to frame her anyway. The whole thing didn't make sense to me at all. "I should have told you."

"Told me what?" Gale demanded.

"That girl you saw, she goes to my school." Katniss said slowly. "She found out about you and the Seam and threatened to tell everyone to give me a bad reputation. She must have set this up to ruin my chance at getting into college."

"She found out about the Seam?" Gale asked, exasperated. "Katniss, why didn't you tell me?"

"Things were good with us again…" Katniss trailed off.

Gale suddenly turned to me, pointing his finger. "Did _you _know about this?" He questioned forcefully.

"No! No, it didn't…" I stammered. This was all new information and I was starting to feel dizzy. I had no idea what 'the Seam' was, but Katniss and Gale seemed to be on the same page. I was starting to feel left out of this secret life Katniss seemed to have revealed, with 'rival gangs' and people wanting to ruin her. I was getting more and more confused as they continued to argue.

Gale slammed his fist down on the table. "Damn, Katniss." He growled, making Prim jump. "You knew how dangerous it would be if anyone found out about us. Did you even _think_ about what it would do to our families if we got caught? You should have told me, so we could work something out together."

"Gale, I'm sorry!" Katniss cried.

"Yeah, now I'm sorry that I went into the warehouse in your place." He snarled.

"Don't talk to her like that!" I jumped in. I couldn't believe how horrible he was being.

To be honest, I was pretty upset that Katniss hadn't told me about any of this, and the way they were speaking about it, it was pretty serious. I decided to talk to her about it later, but in that moment I needed to stand up for her because Gale was obviously overpowering her.

Gale turned to me, seething. "Look, thanks for your money but I don't need you here acting like you're clearly better than me and telling me what to do, because you don't know anything, you hear me?"

I gulped. "This whole situation has been a mistake, the courts will see that."

Gale sighed. "This is something your privileged brain won't understand. The courts _hate_ people like me, they love to lock us up because it keeps us from causing anymore trouble. I'm going to jail."

"I'll get you a lawyer, anything you need." I continued. I don't know why I was bothering, but there was no way I could sit back and watch them all struggle, regardless of what Gale said to me.

"Didn't you hear? I don't need your help!" Gale snapped.

I sighed angrily, dropping my hands onto the table. All I was trying to do was help him out, but I should have known that Gale was too proud to accept it, from an Upper East Sider of all people.

"Can everyone just calm down!" Prim yelled suddenly.

That was enough to quieten the room, and all eyes turned to little Prim, who I expected had never raised her voice in her entire life. She looked a little breathless, and eyed us all before continuing.

"I think everyone just needs a break to cool off. Go for a walk and meet back in an hour." she ordered us.

No one seemed to want to mess with an angry Prim, so we did what we were told, and Katniss motioned me for to follow her onto the roof of her apartment.

"Katniss, what's going on?" I asked as we looked out over the city.

"It's a long story." Katniss replied.

"Well, we have an hour." I tried to lighten the situation.

Katniss looked at me, as if struggling with whether to tell me or not. Finally she opened up and told me everything, starting from the Seam gang she and Gale had when they were younger, how they avoided getting caught stealing but gained a lot of enemies in the process, and then to Cashmere's threats about being with me and how she must have set up a trap to frame Katniss.

Honestly, it was a lot to take in, and I had no idea that Katniss had such a dark past behind her. It in no way changed the way I felt about her, but as she started to describe the conversations she had with Cashmere, I was hurt that she didn't tell me.

"Katniss, why didn't you tell me about Cashmere?" I asked sadly.

"Not you too." Katniss groaned.

"Seriously." I persisted, "Don't you trust me?"

She turned to me. "Of course I do, but what Gale and I did…I was ashamed. I didn't want anyone to know at all. I didn't think that Cashmere would do anything like this, so I stopped worrying…" she looked sad. "I'm an idiot, this is all my fault."

"It isn't your fault." I tried to reassure her, "But I wish you'd told me, I'm supposed to be your boyfriend, you can tell me anything."

"Peeta are you _serious_?" Katniss snapped. "Gale is probably going to jail and you're upset because you think I don't trust you."

She had a point, but I couldn't help but feel hurt. Not only that, I was beginning to realise just how deep Katniss' connection to Gale was, and all this talk about the Seam gang had started to make me feel more and more left out. Sure, I could supply the money to help Gale out, but I wouldn't never know Katniss like he did.

"That might not happen, Katniss." I told her. "And why do you care so much, I didn't even know you were talking to each other again!"

"So you're upset that I didn't tell you that either, Peeta?" Katniss shot back. "Gale is my best friend, of course I care, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you too!"

"Not enough to tell me about Cashmere." I muttered.

I knew I was being ridiculous and making a big deal out of it, when really I should be comforting Katniss and telling her that everything would be fine. There was just something about how well Katniss and Gale knew about each other and I was starting to feel more insecure by the second.

"Peeta, don't you see, I _chose _to be with you." she said slowly. "I ignored Cashmere's threats because I wasn't going to let her get in the way of us. If I didn't care about you I would have broken up with you months ago and _none_ of this would have happened." She looked down. "But I didn't do that, did I?"

I was speechless for a moment. I was so caught up in the fact that Katniss had kept this from me that I hadn't even realised that despite the risks involved in being with me, Katniss stayed with me all the same. She must really, really like me, and I suddenly felt like the biggest asshole in the entire world.

"Oh God." I groaned, running my hands through my hair. "Katniss I'm sorry, I didn't even think about that…I'm such an idiot."

"Yeah, you are." Katniss crossed her arms.

"I get that Gale means a lot to you, I guess I was just feeling insecure about us." I said quickly, trying to backtrack what I had said.

"Well you don't have to be." Katniss said, her voice softer now.

I crossed to her. "Can we just forget about this?" I asked hopefully. I was really scared that she would say no, and I didn't blame her, but there was no way that I could lose her know.

Katniss sighed. "Fine." She scrunched up her nose. "But only because I like getting your free cupcakes so much."

"Thank you." I said, relieved. I kissed her gently.

"Come on, I think our hours up. You don't want to get on Prim's bad side, trust me."

Katniss took my hand in hers and led me back downstairs to her apartment. It was making my head spin- finding out about Katniss' past, fighting with her and then making up. What I really wanted we to lie down and process it all, but I knew that I needed to convince Gale to accept my help.

* * *

We sat back down at the table, and Katniss kept her hand in mine under the table.

"Look." I said, addressing Gale. "I know you hate where I come from and don't want my help, but honestly, it's the best chance you've got. I can get you a meeting with my father's lawyer and he'll do what he can to prove that you're innocent. If it hurts your ego too much to take the money, then you can pay me back whenever you can, but I really don't want you to do that. I just want you to stay out of jail."

Gale looked a little stunned, and I supposed I had said all of that pretty forcefully. There was no other way to get through to him though, and as he stared at me, thinking it over, I though that my direct approach had worked.

"Okay." Gale said finally. "I'll see your lawyer, but I'm going to pay you back. I know I don't really seem it, but I really appreciate your help. If it wasn't for you, I still be at the station, but I just don't want to owe you anything."

"I get it." I said. "I'll call the lawyer when I get home, I should probably go."

I stood up from the table and Katniss and Gale followed. Gale shook my hand, an unspoken understanding of 'thank you' passed between us. I was glad that he finally accepted my help.

Katniss walked me out to the front of her apartment, and we were still for a moment.

"So we're okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah." Katniss sighed. "You are very lucky I like you so much, mister."

"Oh I know it." I kissed her. She had no idea how much it meant for her to stay with me after how much of an idiot I was.

"Look, thanks for helping Gale. It means a lot."

"Don't worry about it."

Katniss reached up to kiss me again, and in a second we were almost back to the moment in the her bedroom before we found out about Gale.

"How about we take a raincheck on you coming over?" Katniss asked softly, her lips still close to mine.

I nodded. "As soon as possible, please."

Katniss laughed. "Definitely."

I kissed her again. "I better go."

I left Katniss' neighbourhood, my head still spinning about everything that had happened. Despite the craziness of the situation, which I had partly caused, at least I hadn't totally messed things up with Katniss.


	18. Crown on the Ground

_Katniss' POV_

I was feeling absolutely sick as Gale and I rode the subway to the Upper East Side. It was amazing that Peeta could organise a meeting with his father's lawyer so soon, but at the same time I was dreading what he might tell Gale.

I could tell that Gale was just as nervous as I was. He didn't speak as we sat side by side, and he was bouncing his leg up and down like he always did when he was worried. He wanted this to go well even more than I did, and had even worn a suit, but it had belonged to his father and was looking a little tattered. I knew that he was trying to make a good impression though because he was right- the courts would love to see someone from our neighbourhood locked up as opposed to if it was Peeta caught in that warehouse.

Gale still didn't speak as I directed him to Peeta's apartment building and rode the elevator to the penthouse. I could feel his annoyance as he took in the extravagant setting he was to have his meeting in. I could understand Gale's conflict- the world he hated more than anything was now his only chance at freedom.

Peeta greeted us, looking just as nervous as I felt. He moved towards me as though going to kiss me, but then decided that maybe that wasn't such a good idea as he flicked his eyes towards Gale.

"Hey." he said timidly.

"Hey." I replied. Things were feeling a little awkward between the three of us, but luckily the lawyer appeared in the room at that moment.

"Good morning, my name is Plutarch Heavensbee." He said in a gruff but kind voice. "You must be Gale, let's take a seat and get started."

The look in Gale's eye told me that he was feeling uncomfortable, so I reassured him that I would stay with him while he spoke with the lawyer. The three of us sat down on one of the white leather couches while Plutarch Heavensbee sat opposite.

As Gale began to tell his side of the story, I was immediately relieved by how understanding Plutarch was. He believed that Gale was innocent, and it seemed that despite his Upper East Side roots, Plutarch was much more an advocate for people like Gale and I. However, that didn't change the evidence that was against Gale.

"Do you have any proof that Cashmere was the instigator of the setup?" Plutarch asked, taking notes as Gale spoke.

"No." Gale replied.

"What about the gang's involvement?"

"No." Gale's voice sounded less and less hopeful.

"What about you Katniss?" Plutarch turned to me. "Do you have any evidence of Cashmere's threats?"

I gulped. This was getting worse and worse. "No." I told him.

"Look, I'm going to be honest with you." Plutarch turned back to Gale. "It doesn't look good. What I'm going to do is get my private investigator to take a look around your neighbourhood and see what he can find. If we can get any proof at all that it was a trap, it will no doubt give you a fighting chance. No guarantees, though."

"That's better than nothing." Gale said honestly. He stood to shake Plutarch's hand. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." Plutarch said genuinely. "You've got to have some allies when it comes to cases like these."

I had a good feeling about Gale's chances once we left Peeta's apartment, and Gale even offered me a genuine smile as we took the subway home. This was the hope we needed that not everything was going to be as bad as we thought.

* * *

It took two weeks before we heard anything from Plutarch Heavensbee's private detective. In the meantime, Gale met with him twice more to discuss the trial, just in case it couldn't be proved before trial that Gale was innocent.

So while Gale continued to face the possibility of jail time, I returned to school and tried to act like everything was normal. It was hard though, especially with Cashmere giving me evil looks whenever we passed each other in the hallways.

At first, she seemed genuinely shocked to see me at school, and I supposed the word hadn't gotten to her yet that Gale was the one caught, not me. She was not pleased, to say the least, and it seemed that my near arrest was not enough to satisfy her need for revenge.

Our first conversation occurred two days after Gale's arrest. Cashmere suddenly appeared behind me at my locker before lunch, and her voice instantly sent a chill up my spine.

"Katniss." she said, "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere, so you better get used to it." I replied coldly.

"Shame about your friend though." she said with mock pity. "Something tells me he'll be locked away for a _very _long time. Don't you feel guilty, Katniss?" she blinked at me. "Maybe you should just turn yourself in."

I was sick of the games that Cashmere was playing with me, but there was no way that I was ever going to let her win. "Well maybe you should turn _yourself_ in before everyone realises who was really behind it. If everyone were to find out, it surely would ruin your reputation, wouldn't it?" I mimicked her tone.

"Your threats are as weak as Gale's chance of being found innocent." Cashmere scoffed. "Now if you don't mind, I've got friends to meet."

Cashmere walked away, her blonde hair streaming out behind her. I should have known that Cashmere was too smart to give herself away but it took me a moment to calm myself down from the rage that was growing in me, before I could join my friends at our usual spot.

Peeta and I had quickly filled in Finnick, Johanna, Delly and Madge on what had happened, and it surprised me just how angry they all were, despite Madge being the only one to have had really spoke to him. It seemed that everyone was sick of the way Cashmere acted.

"That bitch." Johanna spat. "I'm going to go right over there tell her what I really think." Johanna went to stand up, but I pulled her back down. "Katniss, I've got _years_ worth of things to yell at her about." she complained.

"It will only make things worse." I reminded her.

Johanna sighed. "Fine, but when the truth comes out, you and Gale better make her pay for what she did."

To be honest, getting revenge on Cashmere wasn't really on my mind. All I wanted was for Gale to be cleared, but I hadn't really considered what would happen to Cashmere. My thoughts were interrupted however, when Finnick started to speak.

"So Madge, where does that leave you and Gale?" he asked. Oh right, I had completely forgotten about their date.

Madge blushed. "Gale called me last night, to tell me what happened." she said softly. "He didn't think I'd still want to go out with him on Friday, but I told him I still did."

"Wow Madge, I never pictured you dating a potential criminal!" Johanna laughed.

"Yeah, well my father won't be pleased, that's for sure." Madge shrugged. "But I'm tired of being his little girl."

Johanna laughed. "Maybe we have more in common than I first thought!"

As long as I didn't bump into Cashmere, going to school ended up being a good distraction from what had happened. Peeta was always there of course, and I was glad I still had him despite our argument on the roof. However, our relationship had been a little sidelined while we helped out with the case, and I was looking forward to when it was all over and we could be alone together again.

So finally, when Gale and I arrived at Peeta's apartment two weeks later, Plutarch told us the news that we so desperately wanted to hear.

"My detective has found some partially destroyed surveillance footage that places the gang in the warehouse before Gale. They are handing themselves into the police as we speak, and are willing to give them any information about Cashmere in exchange for a lesser sentence."

I was so relieved I didn't know what to do. I was caught between thanking Plutarch, hugging Gale or kissing Peeta and for a moment I stared at all three of them in an awkward silence. Gale was the first to move though, laughing and opening his arms as all four of us moved closer, laughing too. It was the most dysfunctional group hug I had ever seen, but it didn't matter because Gale was cleared. Gale was cleared and he wasn't going to jail!

I was ecstatic, and everything was a blur between a police officer arriving and dropping all of Gale's charges, then calling Prim and Rory and hearing them scream with joy, then pouring champagne and sitting happily together- my boyfriend, my best friend and the man who saved the day. A strange combination, but I didn't care. However, once I began to return to reality, I suddenly felt a pang of guilt towards Cashmere.

"What will happen to Cashmere?" I asked suddenly.

"Who cares!" Gale scoffed, finishing his third glass of champagne.

Plutarch knew that I really did want to know, and he gulped loudly before speaking. "It is most likely that she was will be charged, but due to her age, lack of criminal history and the family that she comes from, I'm certain she will not face trial."

At first I was annoyed, that Gale would have been sent to jail as an innocent person just because of where he lived, while Cashmere would walk free just because her family had so much money. Eventually I was relieved though, because as much as I didn't like Cashmere, I knew deep down that I didn't want to see her behind bars.

So Gale and I left Peeta's apartment in the evening, too happy to even speak. Before we said goodbye at our apartment, I turned to him smiling.

"So now that you are officially innocent, what are you going to do first?" I asked.

Gale thought for a moment, trying to act casual. "I think I might call Madge."

"So things are going well for you two then?" I asked. I couldn't help but smile.

"To be honest, I think she kind of likes the whole 'rebel' thing this situation has given me."

"Well, don't go committing any crimes just to impress her." I half joked, half warned.

Gale was still smiling, more than I had ever seen before. "Look Katniss, I know that this whole situation was _kinda _your fault, but thanks for being there for me. Peeta too."

"Once a Seam, always a Seam." I said, hugging him.

As Gale and I parted, I felt like things that were finally going right again.

* * *

The fallout from the gang's confession was more far reaching than I had ever imagined. Someone must have seen Cashmere being taken away from her apartment in a police car, and moments later it was all over the Internet.

It only got worse the next day at school. Within minutes of entering the school ground, all I could hear was people whispering about Cashmere's arrest. It seemed that no one actually knew the circumstances behind of her trip to the police station, but I was sure it would get out soon, which is what I feared the most.

I didn't see Cashmere for most of the day, and I thought that she might have stayed home for the day. Most of lunch was spent speculating about what would happen once she finally did arrive at school.

"Not so confident now, is she?" Johanna scoffed. "I can't wait until she shows her face."

Even Madge, the friendliest girl I knew, was anxious to see the fallout from Cashmere's arrest. "It's not like I want her to go to jail or anything, but I hope she finally realises what a horrible person she is." she said casually, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

I was feeling anxious too, because so far only my friends knew the extent of my involvement in Cashmere's arrest, and the more it was dragged into the spotlight, the more likely it was that my past would soon be uncovered. I hated how I had been brought into this whole mess, because all I had wanted when I started at The Capitol School was to remain as anonymous as possible. To go to school, get the grades I needed and put all of it behind me. I never would have imagined that I would be the reason another classmate was arrested, and the whole situation made me feel sick. Cashmere had brought out the worst in me, and if dating Peeta hadn't already done it, maybe this whole situation with Cashmere had really made me part of this world once and for all, and I hated that thought.

Half way through lunch, Cashmere appeared in the courtyard, and it seemed that finally I would find out what was going to happen next. At once everyone was silent, staring at Cashmere as she stopped dead in her tracks. For someone who liked attention so much, she sure did look uncomfortable with our entire year level looking intently at her.

"Hey Cashmere, take a nice trip downtown?" One boy taunted.

"So what'd you do, huh?" Another yelled.

"Is being a bitch a crime now, is it?" Johanna joined in.

As people continued to laugh and tease her, I could see that Cashmere's cool and collected demeanour was starting to falter, and it looked like tears were forming in her eyes. People had their phones out all over the courtyard to record the situation, including Finnick.

"I've got to film it for Annie!" He tried to defend himself, but I could tell that he felt bad about it, and put his phone down.

It was all too much for Cashmere, as she turned quickly on her heel as disappeared back the way she came.

I didn't understand it, but I felt bad for the way Cashmere was being treated. Since I started at The Capitol School, she had been nothing but horrible to me, and what she did to Gale could have ruined his life forever. The fear of my past getting out was also motivating me, so quickly I jumped up and followed after her, much to the disbelief of Johanna.

Finally I found Cashmere in the bathroom, wiping the running mascara from her cheeks and sniffing back tears.

"Come to laugh at me too?" she said, trying to sound tough but failing dismally.

"No." I said honestly.

"Then what are you doing here?" she shot back. "I don't need your pity."

"That's not why I'm here either."

"Then why are you here?"

"To call a truce." I said confidently. "I won't tell anyone else about what you did, but you have to leave me alone. That includes telling no one about my past with Gale."

Cashmere's eyes narrowed. I could tell that she was thinking it over, and I was scared that she would be so angry at her arrest that she would tell the school of my past anyway. "Fine." she said eventually. "Truce."

"Good." I said, relieved.

Cashmere turned to leave the bathroom, but before she was out the door she turned to me. "But I still don't like you, scholarship girl."

I sighed. Some things would never change.

So I left the bathroom and returned to my friends. I found Peeta's hand under the table and gave him a reassuring smile. Finally, I could put this whole situation behind me and focus on what was really important- Peeta Mellark.


	19. Let's Be Still

_Annie's POV_

Finnick had been on the phone to me for almost two hours, describing in detail everything that had happened with Cashmere at The Capitol School. It all sounded pretty exciting, but I was glad that neither Gale or Cashmere were in trouble.

"Oh Annie, I wish we went to school together." Finnick moaned. "I miss you too much during the day."

"Awwww." I laughed. "But I think there's already enough gossip about me at your school without me even being there. I wouldn't survive a day."

"Well you'd have me to protect you!" Finnick laughed. "How about I move to your school then?"

It was so cute that Finnick would even consider travelling to Brooklyn to go to school with me. "Your dad would kill you." I reminded him.

"It's worth the risk to be able to see you every day."

I laughed. "Finnick, you would be _way_ too distracting. I would fail all my classes."

"Ugh, good point." Finnick groaned. "I guess we'll just have to stick to the weekends then."

"I suppose so." I said sadly.

It took nearly ten minutes of saying goodbye to each other before I finally hung up, even though I didn't want to at all. However, my aunt and uncle had left for a week long holiday, so I needed to cook my own dinner. They were hesitant about leaving me for so long, but really I was happy for the quiet. So I cooked a meal and fitted in some homework before going to bed just passed 11pm.

I had only just fallen asleep when my phone started to ring. It was Finnick again, and immediately I was concerned that something was wrong.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Annie…" Finnick's voice broke as he said my name.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I could feel the panic starting to rise in me as I sat up in bed.

"It's Mags." Finnick cried. "She had a stroke... I'm at the hospital now."

Oh no, oh no, oh no, I thought. Not Mags.

"I'm so scared Annie, I can't lose her." Finnick sounded close to tears, and I too thought that I was going to cry.

"Oh Finnick." I said, feeling miserable. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Finnick tried to tell me that I didn't have to come, but there was no way that I was going to let him wait alone at the hospital. I jumped out of bed and threw on whatever clothes I could find, and in less than 10 minutes I was in a cab on my way to the Upper East Side.

I found Finnick in the waiting room at the ER, sitting hunched over in one of the white plastic chairs, wearing his pyjamas.

"Finnick…" I said, rushing to him.

He looked so relieved when he stood up, and he threw his arms around me so fast I nearly lost my balance.

"Thank you so much for coming Annie." he said. He tried to say something else, but he started to sob into my shoulder, his whole body shaking. All I could do was hold him he struggled to regain his breath. "I can't lose her, Annie, I can't." He repeated.

"It's going to be okay, Finnick." I told him, and I wished desperately that I was right.

Finnick sat back down in his chair, and I went to sit beside him. Quickly his arms reached out and wrapped around my waist, pulling my onto his lap. He offer me one of his most charming smile, but it was laced with deep sadness. His eyes were red and puffy, dark circles under his eyes, and I could only imagine how awful he must have been feeling. I was so glad that I was with him, because I though that he really needed me to be there, and it was nice not being the one who needed taking care of. I rested my head on his chest and he played with my hair for a while, as if keeping his hands busy in my ever tangled hair was some what calming to him. We stayed silent, and at one point I must have dozed off, because I woke with a jolt as a doctor appeared in front of us. Finnick jumped up quickly, and I wrapped my arm around his waist to support him.

"Is Mags alright?" Finnick asked, desperate but terrified of the truth.

"Mags experienced a stoke, which effected the Broca's area of her brain. She is now suffering from a condition named Broca's Aphasia." The doctor said, completely expressionless.

"But what does that mean?" I asked, because I didn't think Finnick was able to speak.

"It means that she is going to experience great difficulty in producing clear, articulate speak, and will struggle with speaking in general."

"But she's going to be okay?" Finnick asked quickly.

"She is stable, and all other brain function appears normal." At last the doctor offer us a small smile.

I could feel Finnick relax beside me. "So can we see her?" he asked.

The doctor directed us down the hall where we found Mags sitting up in a hospital bed, looking worn out but smiling none the less.

"Oh Mags." Finnick said, hugging her tightly. "Don't ever do that again. I was so scared I was going to loose you."

"Not…going…any…where." Mags replied. Her speech was slow and drawn out, and very difficult to understand, but we still knew what she meant.

Finnick didn't miss a beat though. "Ah, now you can't tell me off for eating too much sugar!"

Mags rolled her eyes, but reached out to touch his cheek lovingly, as though she was just as scared to loose Finnick.

We stayed with Mags through the night, and we must have all fallen asleep because I was suddenly woken at 6am. Finnick looked exhausted, his hair a mess and his eyes having trouble focusing.

"I'll go get some coffee." I said, leaving Finnick and Mags alone while I went in search of the coffee machine.

When I returned, I opened my palm to show Finnick the sugar packets I had brought him. "I even got you extra sugar!" I laughed.

Before Finnick could take them, Mags quickly grabbed the packets, giving Finnick an unimpressed look. Oh Mags, there was not getting passed her.

Eventually, a nurse asked us to leave so that Mags could be moved to a new room. Finnick dragged himself from his chair and took my hand, looking relieved as we left the hospital in the early morning.

"Want to come back to mine for breakfast?" Finnick asked sleepily.

"I should get home, I've got an appointment with Dr Aurelius later." I told him.

"Okay." Finnick pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. "Thanks for being here, Annie. I really mean it."

"It's okay Finnick." I told him. "I'm glad Mags is alright."

"Me too."

We parted, both relieved that Mags was going to be okay. I had the feeling that Mags was going to be around for a long time yet.

* * *

I didn't like returning to the hospital for my appointments with Dr Aurelius, especially since I had been feeling so good recently. I still had the flashbacks and the nightmares, but the bad thoughts about myself that used to torment me were becoming less and less frequent. Finnick's love had made me start to like myself more and more, and I was beginning to think that maybe I wasn't such a bad person.

"So how are things with Finnick then?" Dr Aurelius asked, after he had asked the usual questions about my flashbacks or if I'd cut recently. Each week that passed that I answered "No" was a small victory in itself.

"Fine." I replied, trying to hold back my blush.

"You've spoken before about feeling insecure about yourself, compared to the other girls that Finnick has been with. How is that going?"

I gulped. "I guess I still kind of compare myself to them, but I know that Finnick loves me. Like, _really_ loves me."

"I think Finnick has had a positive influence on how you think about yourself." Dr Aurelius observed.

"I think so too." I said. "I feel like a new Annie."

"I think I'm going to set you a little challenge for this week Annie, to help with your view of yourself even more."

"And what would that be?" I asked, a little concerned.

"Try something that the old Annie wouldn't have done. Something you would have told yourself you couldn't do. Let go, enjoy being yourself."

I left Dr Aurelius' office trying hard to think about what I could do to challenge myself. I still hadn't thought of anything when I returned home, so I lay down on my bed and decided to call Finnick.

He sounds groggy when he answered, as though he had been asleep.

"Did I just wake you?" I asked apologetically.

"No, no." Finnick laughed. "I was merely resting my eyes."

"Whatever you say." I laughed. "How are you?"

"Much better to be talking to you." He replied simply. "Can I remind you just how much of an _amazing_ girlfriend you are?"

"I don't think I could ever get tired of that." I laughed.

"I know I must have looked absolutely _irresistible_ in my pyjamas." He joked.

"Oh yeah, I wanted to rip that dressing gown right off you." I teased.

Flirting with Finnick had become second nature to me, I didn't even think about it anymore. I used to be so full of self hatred that I didn't think a guy would even want to look at me, but being with Finnick had brought out a new side to me that liked to be flirted with and kissed and looked at longingly.

I could hear Finnick sigh. "I love you so much, Annie." He said softly, as if in a dream.

It suddenly hit me just how much I loved Finnick too, and I realised how badly I wanted be able to show him just how good he had been for me. I was reminded of the day I told Finnick I loved him, and how I hadn't been ready to go any further with him then. Maybe, I thought, I was ready now. I didn't think that was _exactly _the challenge Dr Aurelius had in mind for me this week, and there was no way I wanted to tell him about it, but I knew that being with Finnick like _that _was something the old Annie could never have done. The old Annie would have been thinking too much about the other girls Finnick had been with, telling herself she wouldn't be good enough for him, feeling insecure about her body and her scars. But the new Annie wasn't like that. She was confident and bold and bursting with so much love for Finnick that I suddenly want to sleep with him right then and there.

"Finnick." I said quickly. I could hardly contain how excited I was. This was a massive step for me, and I couldn't believe how good it felt to finally start to let go of all the things I didn't like about myself. I was suddenly overcome by an overwhelming sense of freedom."Do you want to come over tonight?"

Finnick was quiet for a moment. "I thought your aunt gave you strict instructions _not _to invite me over." Finnick reminded me.

"Well she doesn't have to know, does she?" I replied, surprised by how confident I was feeling.

I could practically hear Finnick's smile on the other end of the line. "I suppose not." He said, "I'll see you later then, Miss Cresta."

My self doubting mind starting working in full force as I waited for Finnick to arrive. I decided to distract myself by getting started on dinner, and I was almost finished when Finnick rang the bell. I buzzed him up and nearly lost my breath when he stood in the doorway carrying a bunch of sweet smelling flowers.

"For you." He said, kissing me before handing them to me.

"What's this for?" I asked, surprised.

"For being with me today." He shrugged. "And not teasing me about the fact that I cried _all_ over you."

I laughed, "It was cute." I told him honestly.

"It was _very_ unmanly." He contended.

I shrugged. "I still love you."

I put the flowers in a little vase before serving him dinner, and he remarked that it was the best spaghetti he had ever tasted. I rolled my eyes, but inside my heart was bursting by how much I loved him.

We washed the dishes together, but it took way longer than it should have, because Finnick kept kissing me every few seconds. He was being adorable, but I was getting more and more anxious about what was to come, and I hoped he couldn't tell.

"Sooooo." Finnick said once we had washed the dishes. "What's next?"

I took a deep breath. "You can come with me."

I led him by the hand into my bedroom, and we sat down on the bed. We looked at each other for a moment, and I could tell that Finnick was holding back, making sure I was in control of the situation.

I kissed him hesitantly, but as he returned it with more passion, I felt my worries slip away as I became lost in how much I loved being with him.

"Annie." he said softly, breaking away. "Is this going where I think it's going?"

"Only if you want it to." I replied, reversing our previous conversation.

"Only if _you _want it to." He corrected.

"Well, I do." I said matter-of-factly.

"Are you sure?" He persisted, searching my face carefully.

"Yes!" I laughed, kissing him again. "Do you want to?"

"Oh yeah." He said slowly, kissing me again.

We fell back against my pillows, and I felt like I was flying. Being the new Annie was wonderful. Suddenly Finnick stopped and pulled his lips away from mine.

"What is it?" I asked, suddenly fearing that he didn't want me.

"I'm kind of scared." He said honestly, looking a little sheepish. He looked so adorable in his moment of insecurity, but I had no idea why he would be scared.

"Why? You've done this before." I asked, confused.

"Not with someone I love." He looked deep into my eyes. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Oh Finnick. I wanted to say something to reassure him, but I was upset with how much distance there was between our lips. "Mmmhmmm." Was all I managed, reaching up to pull him closer.

Finnick's eyes kept drifting towards my lips, darkening with lust. "Your wish is my command." Finnick said slowly, dipping his head closer.

I was surprised by just how _fun _the build up was. We couldn't help but laugh as we tried to undress each other as quickly as possible, but at the same time trying not to let our lips part from each others for more than a second. Finnick's gentle chuckle rang in my ears, and it was almost all in slow motion as I watched the way he smiled. It seemed to me like he hadn't smiled like that in this situation before.

Finally our clothes were gone, and Finnick kissed every inch of my skin. The way he looked at me made any doubts I'd ever had about my body disappear instantly, and I'd never felt more confident in myself. Never had I felt more safe, more sure of myself and of my feelings, and I knew that I had made a good decision.

Finnick made me feel so loved, but I wanted to make sure he felt loved and not just used like he probably felt before. I loved feeling his breath hitch as I trailed kisses down his chest, and I was beginning to feel less and less shy about how little experience I had compared to him. I was letting go of my past, and it was wonderful.

While things started off light and fun, soon the air turned thick and heavy as the temperature seemed to sky rocket. I let Finnick guide me as finally we were together, and I almost couldn't believe that this was really happening. However, the way Finnick kept murmuring, "I love you", in my ear kept me grounded in reality and as I repeated it back to him like a mantra, I was sure once and for all that this was real. When we collapsed against each other, breathless but grinning, I'd never felt happier in my entire life.

* * *

Finnick was still asleep when I woke up in the early morning. We were facing each other, arms wrapped around each other as though we were clinging to each other for dear life. He looked peaceful, his eyelids gently closed and a small smile on his lips. I could have watched him forever, but I knew I should probably get up and make some breakfast. My aunt and uncle would be home in the afternoon, and there was no way they could find Finnick in my bed.

I was just so comfortable in his arms that I could barely bring myself to leave. Slowly, trying not to disturb Finnick, I untangled myself from him, but instinctively his arms reached for me again, pulling me back to him. I couldn't help but laugh, that even a half asleep Finnick still got exactly what he wanted.

"Where do you think you're going?" Finnick asked sleepily.

I suddenly fell in love with the way that Finnick woke up. Slowly his eyelids fluttered open, his green eyes glistening as they came into focus, locked with mine.

"Morning." he said, sounding a little more awake.

"Good morning." I smiled.

"How are you?" He asked, kissing my forehead.

"Wonderful." I told him happily. "How are you?"

"Fantastic!" Finnick laughed.

Lying on our sides facing each other, we didn't say anything for a moment. Finnick was searching my face, a smile growing on his lips.

"What are you smiling about?" I asked.

"I'm just trying to capture this moment to remember it always." He told me softly.

We were quiet again before Finnick spoke up, the first time I had ever heard him sound vulnerable. "Are you okay?"

"Never better." I replied, a smile growing on my face.

"Was _it_ okay?"

I couldn't help but laugh, at the thought that Finnick was worried that I didn't enjoy it. "The best I've ever had." I joked, but looking at Finnick I knew he needed a serious answer. "It was perfect, Finnick." I told him honestly.

He was beaming, but suddenly I was overcome with my own insecurities. "Was it okay for you?" I asked timidly.

"The best _I've _ever had." Finnick said seriously.

"You're just saying that." I scrunched up my face.

"Am not." Finnick laughed, tapping my nose. "It was different, being with someone I love. Good different, the best kind of different." He smiled. "It was perfect for me too."

His words made me blush, but suddenly I was giggling and so was he, both overwhelmed by how happy we both were.

But I knew I should get up, so groaning, I dragged myself from under the covers. Finnick watched in amusement as I searched for my clothes, but my shirt was no where to be seen. I settled for Finnick's t-shirt, and even though it was way too big, it felt right.

I was just pouring the first batch of pancake mix into the pan when I felt Finnick's arms wrap around my waist. Even then, he still gave me butterflies when he kissed my neck.

"So you decided to get up then?" I laughed. I turned to face him and realised he was only wearing his underwear. "How about some clothes, Finnick?" I laughed.

"What, do you _this_ distracting?" He joked.

"Very, I'm going to burn these pancakes!" I said.

"Hmm, well may I remind you that you are wearing _my_ t-shirt." He replied.

"Hmph." I scrunched up my face. He had a point, so instead I turned back to the pancakes to flip them over.

Finnick couldn't keep his hands off me though, wrapping his arms around me again. I turned to face him, trying to act annoyed, but that was impossible. Instinctively, my hands moved up his bare chest and I sighed.

"Maybe you can stay like that then." I said, resting my head on his chest.

"Great, but what about those pancakes...?" He joked.

Gasping, I spun around quickly and flipped the pancakes onto a plate before they burnt. "Okay, maybe you should set the table then." I told him, "Plates are over there, cutlery in that drawer." I directed him.

We moved through the kitchen seamlessly, and by the time the pancakes were all cooked Finnick had set the table, complete with the small vase of flowers he had given me. As we sat down at the dining table, it was as if we had been doing that for years. It all felt so comfortable, and suddenly I could see my life in 10...15...20 years, and wanted it to be exactly like that.

"What are you thinking about?" Finnick asked curiously.

I bit down on my lip, thinking maybe I shouldn't tell him. But he looked just as comfortable sprinkling sugar on his pancakes that maybe he felt the same. "Just that if this is what the future is like, I wouldn't mind it." I said lightly.

Finnick beamed. "I wouldn't mind it either."

It didn't feel right, sitting so far away from him at breakfast, and I could tell by the way he was playing with my feet under the table he felt the same. His eyes kept darting towards my lips, a cheeky smile forming on his lips as I knew exactly what he was thinking. Dumping the dishes in the sink, was raced each other back to my bedroom, collapsing on the bed together laughing.

As Finnick moved over me, meeting his lips to mine, I was definitely sure that I wanted this to be my future. My hands found his hair and he was pulling the shirt over my stomach as we heard the sound of the front door open. We jumped apart, Finnick looking at me with wide eyes.

"Annie, we're home!" My aunt called from the hallway.

"They're early!" I hissed to Finnick, but he was already scrambling for his clothes.

I threw his shirt to him as he jumped into his pants, pulling on his socks on as he stumbled to the window. Quickly, I opened it for him and handed him his shoes. We were laughing silently as Finnick climbed out of the window onto the fire escape. He gave me one last kiss before he disappeared, just as my aunt knocked in the door.

Jumping back into bed, I called out and she entered, eyeing the room and myself suspiciously before asking how I was. As soon as she left, I fell back onto the pillows, breathless, with total disbelief that anything that good could really happen to me. But it had, and I was the best I had been in a long time.


	20. Good Times

_Katniss' POV_

In the weeks that followed the situation with Gale and Cashmere, a lot of things had changed at The Capitol School.

First of all, Cashmere had certainly fallen from her position as queen of our year level, and now spent more time at the library than Delly and Madge did. Her followers had found a new girl to idolise, and despite the frenzy of gossip that once surrounded Cashmere, she was now mostly left alone. It was still awkward, whenever we made eye contact in the halls, but it seemed that for the moment our truce was still in effect.

Secondly, our small group seemed to have become a permanent arrangement, and it was nice to feel like I belonged in a place that was so different to where I had come from. We were a little dysfunctional, sure, but it definitely made lunch more interesting.

Regardless of the day, Finnick and Johanna would always have something to argue about. Topics ranged from whose favourite band was better to who got a better grade on an assignment. It was all fun, but neither of them were willing to accept defeat.

Even more so, Finnick would spend _at least_ ten minutes a day complaining about how much he missed Annie. He never gave away any details of their relationship, but it seemed that all of a sudden they were even more inseparable, or as Johanna said 'insufferable', than before, if that was even possible.

Magde would also blush suddenly after checking her phone, and we would all immediately tease her about what Gale had just sent, making her blush even more. Gale wasn't one to give much away either, but from the way he smiled whenever I mentioned her, things were going well.

The third change was how much better it was to not feel so self conscious about being with Peeta. Since Cashmere's threats had disappeared, and Gale no longer hated Peeta, it was like an enormous weight had been lifted of my shoulders. I could finally enjoy just _being_ with him.

Our rain check on Peeta coming back to my place had been delayed for quite some time, but finally school and work had stopped being so hectic and Peeta was walking with me into my apartment.

Prim took one look at us when we entered and started to pack up her things immediately. "Don't worry, I'm going!" she laughed.

"Thanks, Prim." I smiled.

"I'll see you later." she winked at me before disappearing out the door.

As we went into my room, I tried to convince myself that nothing bad was going to happen this time. It was a little hard to believe that though, because it seemed like Peeta and I were never getting a break when it came to things interrupting us. However, it was easier to calm myself when I looked at his eyes. As we sat down on my bed I asked him, "So, where were we?"

Peeta smiled. "I think you were about to tell me something?"

"Oh." I bit down on my lip, "Look, I know things have been kind of crazy these past few months…and I'm really sorry."

"You don't have to apologise, Katniss." Peeta said sweetly. "I'm glad things have settled down a bit though."

"What I was going to say to you before all of this was…" I took a deep breath. It wasn't like to me confess my true feelings, it made me feel vulnerable, which was not something I enjoyed. But I had to say it, for Peeta's sake, because he had been nothing but good to me. Honestly, it was for my sake too, because I was done with keeping things secret. "I'm in love with you."

Peeta gave me the sweetest smile I had ever seen, which spread right up to his glittering eyes. "Really?" He asked, as if he couldn't actually believe it.

"Yes, really!" I laughed.

"Katniss." He said slowly. "I'm in love with you too."

Deep down, I knew he was, but it still made my heart leap when he said those words.

To be honest, I never thought I would have that conversation with anyone, let alone someone from the Upper East Side. Peeta was right, I _was_ stubborn, but I didn't want to fight my feelings for him anymore. It was strange, to be in love with someone and to let someone else into me life, but as Peeta kissed me I knew it was something I could definitely get used to.

* * *

It was Thursday, and we were sitting at our usual table in the courtyard at lunch, when Peeta made an announcement.

"Attention everyone." Peeta said, pretending to clear his throat. "I happen to have a free apartment this weekend."

"Peeta, have I told you recently what a _great_ friend you are?" Finnick joked.

"Oh please." Peeta rolled his eyes. "So how about all of you come over on Saturday night?"

"Hell yeah, Peeta." Johanna said. "I haven't been to a free house in _forever_."

"I vote that I get to chose the music!" Finnick said quickly.

Johanna glared at him. "We'll just see about that."

I was looking forward to it, I really was. Much more than I expected I would, actually, so much so that I got to Peeta's apartment early on Saturday. He was just getting a tray of brownies out of the oven, and the whole place smelled delicious.

"Hey you." he said, kissing me on the forehead. He still had his oven mitts on and had flour in his hair, and he looked absolutely adorable.

"Hey." I replied, jumping up onto the counter top.

"You're early." he observed.

"Had to make sure I got some brownies before Finnick turned up." I laughed. "Although what's the bet he and Annie will be late?"

"I'd say it's _very_ likely." Peeta smiled. "They distract each other way too much."

"Do I distract you?" I joked, mimicking Finnick's seductive tone.

"Yes!" Peeta laughed, "I hadn't burnt a cake until I met you."

Our eyes met and we were both quiet. The way he looked at me, there was so much love in his eyes, that it made me blush. However, the moment was interrupted by Delly and Madge arriving. Peeta brought the brownies to the coffee table and we sat around happily talking.

"Hey Madge, you should have brought Gale along tonight." Peeta suggested suddenly.

"Oh." Madge blushed. "I wasn't sure if this would be his thing."

"Next time." I said. "I'll make sure he's here."

Madge gave me a grateful smile. She was way too shy to invite him anywhere, while Gale was too stubborn to admit that he would want to spend time with her, so I knew it would be up to me to make sure things worked out for them.

We all turned towards the elevator as the doors opened and we heard Johanna sigh in relief. Moments later she stomped into the living room shortly followed by Finnick and Annie, who were gripping each other tightly.

"Talk about a nightmare." Johanna complained, flopping down on the couch. "I just had to share an elevator with these two- kill me now."

"Whatever, Johanna." Finnick said, pulling Annie onto his lap as he sat down. He dipped his head down to kiss her and Johanna groaned.

"Get a room." she said, exasperated.

"Don't tempt us." Finnick winked, but Annie started to blush.

"Finnick!" Annie scolded him, but the way she was looking at him was as if she wasn't too upset.

This was nice, I thought, as Peeta brought over drinks. It wasn't some ridiculous Upper East Side party, just a group of friends having a good time. Peeta's old friends probably would have scoffed at us, because it was pretty tame compared the party I had gone to with Peeta, but it was much more 'us'. We spent the night playing ridiculous games like Twister, but we gave up on that once Finnick and Annie starting making out on the plastic mat. Instead we tried for Pictionary, and Peeta of course was amazing at it, while my drawings looked like a mess. In the end, we stopped playing all together because we were all way too giggly and feeling pretty light headed.

Eventually things started to wind down in the early hours of the morning. Delly was already asleep, and Finnick and Annie were all over each other again, while Johanna sat next to them on the couch looking very unimpressed. Finnick was so caught up in Annie that he didn't even realise that Johanna had turned off his music and put on hers.

I was happy curled up next to Peeta, but tiredness was starting to set in. Stumbling a little, we pulled mattresses and blankets out into the living room to set up places to sleep. Finnick and Annie created some kind of elaborate fort out of sheets and blankets by the couch, that I had to admit, looked pretty comfortable.

"A castle for my queen." Finnick joked, pulling aside the sheet for Annie to crawl in.

Peeta and I found our own little spot behind the opposite couch. I didn't hesitant to lie down beside him and rest my head on his chest, and immediately his hands were wrapped around me. I could actually enjoy it this time, as opposed to the night of the ball when I was too busy panicking about Cashmere.

Peeta played with my hair as we lay together, and slowly heard our friends start to fall asleep. Occasionally we would hear a giggle from inside Finnick and Annie's fort as they whispered to each other, but mostly I could imagine that it was just the two of us.

"This is nice." Peeta said softly through the darkness.

"Very nice." I replied. "We should do this again sometime."

"If I had it my way, it would be like this every night of my life."

It was a simple statement, but there was so much meaning behind it that I suddenly felt dizzy. Peeta wanted to spend the rest of his life with me? That was a big thing to admit, but his commitment didn't seem to frighten me as much as it did at the start of our relationship. So I found Peeta's lips in the dark, to let him know that I felt the same way.

* * *

It was late in the morning when we all started to wake. The room was a mess of empty glasses, pizza boxes and scrunched up Pictionary drawings, but I was way too sleepy to try and clean up just yet.

"Alright boys, it's time to go get us some coffee." Johanna ordered.

"Can't _you_ get it?" Finnick whined.

"Nope." Johanna crossed her arms. "Off you go."

Finnick and Johanna stared each other down for a moment, neither wanting to back down.

"Remember what sand tastes like, Finnick?" Johanna said.

Finnick groaned. "Fine." He untangled himself from Annie. "We are _seriously_ outnumbered right now." Finnick added to Peeta.

The two of them dressed and went out the door, in search of coffee that was up to Johanna's standards, and I was looking forward to it because I was still extremely sleepy.

"Sooooo Katniss." Johanna turned to me as soon as they left. "You and Peeta were looking pretty cosy last night."

"Not as cosy and Finnick and Annie." I joked, trying to turn the attention away from me.

"Oh nice try, but I have had _more_ than enough of talking about Finnick and Annie." Johanna laughed.

"So are things going well with you two then?" Madge asked me, smiling.

"I guess." I tried not to smile. I'd never really had a group of girl friends I could talk to about this sort of thing, and I decided that maybe I wanted to share a little more with them. I was surprised by how nice it was to talk about Peeta and I. "I told him I love him."

While Delly and Madge grinned, Johanna just shook her head jokingly. "Who would have thought- Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark?" She turned to Annie quizzically. "You don't look so surprised though."

"Finnick's only good at keeping secrets when they _aren't_ about Peeta and Katniss." Annie laughed. "Seriously, I think Finnick and Peeta talk about their feelings together more than we do."

It was a funny thought, Peeta and Finnick sitting around talking about their relationships with each other. Peeta had probably told him a lot, because Finnick was pretty persuasive when it came to finding out other people's secrets. While this was much more lighthearted than the secret that Cashmere had found out about me, it made me realise that I couldn't keep everything to myself. What was more, I didn't even mind. It was pretty cute actually, that Peeta would tell Finnick that we loved each other.

Before I could reply though, Peeta and Finnick returned with the coffee.

"There you go ladies, anything else we can get for you?" Finnick joked, handing out coffees. He took his place back with Annie again, pressing a kiss to her neck.

"So, did we miss anything interesting?" Peeta asked, looking around.

"Ah Peeta, it is clear to me that they were having a 'girl talk'." Finnick observed. He kissed Annie again. "Spill any secrets, my dear?"

"Oh Annie's not the one we should be worried about." Johanna scoffed.

Finnick looked puzzled for a moment, but contented himself by pulling Annie in for another kiss. Once again, it was as if they were the only people in the room.

Once revived somewhat by the coffee, we got to work cleaning up Peeta's apartment, before all collapsing back down on the couch. Finnick suggested another round of Twister, but Johanna quickly shut that down. Groaning, I knew I had to leave to get ready for work, so I said my goodbyes. It was funny, but I never thought that I would _actually_ be unhappy to leave the Upper East Side.

However, my good mood all but vanished when I took the stairs up to my apartment. I knew something was wrong immediately, when I saw that the front door was open. When I stepped inside I found Prim, Gale and Rory sitting huddled on the couch.

As soon as Prim saw me, she jumped up and ran to me, hugging me tight.

"Prim, what's wrong?" I asked, starting to panic.

"Someone broke in last night." Prim told me, pulling away.

"What, while you were here?"

Prim suddenly didn't meet my eye. "No…I was at Rory's house." she said quietly, "When I came home the front door was wide open."

I felt sick for a moment. My little sister having a sleepover with a boy was the last of my worries, but the whole situation was just too much.

"What was stolen?" I asked.

"That's the thing- nothing."

I met Gale's eye from across the room, and the grave look on his face told me he was thinking the same thing.

"A warning I suppose." I said wearily. "The other gangs around here are making sure we know they aren't on our side, you know, with the whole Cashmere thing." I sat down on the couch next to Gale and Rory.

"We'll just have to be extra careful from now on." Gale said.

"And get better locks!" I added. All I could really do was try and lighten the mood.

Gale laughed for a moment, but it was short lived. We all fell silent again.

"Well, we better head off." Gale said eventually, standing up. "Rory has homework to do."

Once they had left, I turned to Prim to make sure she was alright. She looked pretty shaken up by the whole situation, and I was actually kind of relieved she hadn't been at home when it happened.

"Are you okay, little duck?" I asked.

Prim nodded, putting on a brave face. "Let's just talk about something else." she suggested.

"Okay, like what?"

"How was your night with Peeta?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

"Oh nice try, missy." I laughed. "How was _your_ night? The one which you didn't tell me about, by the way."

Prim blushed. "Are you mad?"

"No." I told her honestly. "But I don't want you to hide anything from me, okay? I want all the details."

"Rory and I are just friends." Prim replied.

"Hey, I was suggesting that you weren't!" I laughed.

Prim blushed. "Whatever, I've got homework to do too."

I was left alone on the couch to think about what had just happened. I wasn't too concerned about the break in itself, but what it meant was much more serious. Even though everything with Cashmere was over now, we still weren't completely safe at home.


	21. Another Story

**A/N: **Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you know that sadly this story is coming to an end and this is the second last chapter. I'll say a proper thank you next chapter, but for now I hope you enjoy this one :)

* * *

_Finnick's POV_

I woke with a jolt when my phone started to ring at 3am in the morning. It was Annie, and immediately I was filled with an intense fear that something was seriously wrong.

"Annie?" I asked, trying not to sound too frantic.

All I could hear was Annie struggling to regain her breath, and I could tell she was crying hysterically. "Finnick…" she managed to say, her voice breaking my heart.

"What is it Annie? Are you okay?" Trying not to sound frantic was impossible.

"I just…had a really bad nightmare." she sobbed. "I needed to hear your voice…To make it stop."

"Oh Annie…" I said, my stomach dropping. "You're going to be okay. I'm going to stay on the phone with you."

"I keep seeing it Finnick…over and over."

I could tell that what was happening to Annie was even worse than on New Years Eve, but once again I felt totally helpless. Quickly jumped out of bed and threw on my tracksuit pants, dressing gown and sneakers and crept out of my apartment, careful not to wake anyone.

"Okay Annie, let's play a game." I said desperately as I hailed a cab. "Let's try and name all the creatures that live in the sea."

Annie was quiet for a moment, and I was afraid that I had lost her in a flashback. Finally with a trembling voice she whispered, "Dolphin."

The relief was instantaneous. "Starfish."

"Whale." she said more confidently.

"Sea horse."

"Clownfish." she laughed suddenly. "That's you."

"Very funny." I replied, feeling more sure that Annie was coming back to me. "Mermaid- that's you."

"Mermaid's aren't real." she retorted.

"They are to me." I replied.

"Fine. Sea turtle."

We continued the game until the cab pulled up outside Annie's apartment building. As fast as I could, I climbed the stairs of her fire escape and hoped desperately that I was standing outside of the right window. Softly I tapped on the glass, careful not to frighten her. On the end of the line, I heard Annie pause and put the phone down. The next moment, she was pulling back the curtains and opening the window as quietly as she could.

She had been crying, a lot, and she started once again as soon as I was inside her room. She threw her arms around me and held on so tight I almost couldn't breath, but that didn't matter. I kissed her on the forehead as slowly she stopped crying once again.

"You didn't have to come." she said softly.

"Yes I did." I told her. "I was way too lonely all by myself."

Annie rolled her eyes, seeing right through me. "Thank you anyway." she said softly. "Nice dressing gown, by the way."

"Ready to be ripped right off me." I laughed.

Annie rolled her eyes again, pulling me towards her bed. I discarded the dressing gown and my sneakers and got under the covers with her.

"You can take your shirt off too." she suggested simply.

I laughed, pulling my t-shirt over my head. "Whatever you say."

We lay back in bed together, and she rested her head on my chest while I wrapped my arms around her, anchoring her to me.

"I like to hear your heartbeat." Annie said suddenly, drawing circles on my chest with her finger.

"I like to hear yours too." I replied seriously. We were quiet for a moment. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Annie kept up the circles on my chest. "Today is the anniversary of their death." Her voice was steady until the last moment.

My heart dropped. "Annie, I'm sorry…I had no idea."

"It's okay." she said. "I'm going to the cemetery in the afternoon. Could you come with me?"

"Of course I will." My arms tightened around her.

"Thank you, Finnick." she whispered. "Jellyfish."

I smiled in the dark. "Sea urchin."

Slowly, our replies got further and further apart as sleepiness overcame us. Eventually, Annie stopped drawing circles on my chest, and that was how I knew she was asleep, and that it was okay for me to sleep too.

It seemed as though I had only just closed my eyes when Annie's kisses woke me up in the early hours of the morning. For a moment I was a little confused about where I was and how I got there, but having Annie in my arms brought it all back. When my eyes came into focus, I saw a much happier Annie looking back at me than the night before. Her eyes were red rimmed and she looked ehxusted, but at least there was a small smile on her face. It was a far better awakening than my usual alarm, that was for sure.

"Good morning." I said sleepily.

"Good morning." She kissed me again. "My aunt and uncle will be awake soon."

"And I'm sure I'm the very last person they would want to see at this hour. Especially in your bed." I continued.

"Right." Annie said, "Even though you do look _dazzling_ handsome in the morning."

"Your words, not mine." I said, sitting up.

She watched as I slipped on the rest of my clothes, but I could tell that her mind was drifting again and her eyes started to glaze, as though she was looking into another world.

"When should I come back?" I asked softly.

She broke out of her thoughts. "Is 1pm okay?"

"Absolutely." I smiled. "Or I could just stay here..." I suggested, "Hide out in your closest."

Annie laughed. "Finnick, I might love you in your dressing gown, but I'm not sure the rest of the world will."

"Are you kidding, I can pull off any outfit." I joked. "But…you're probably right."

"I'm _always_ right."

"Hey, you just called me handsome so no argument from me!"

We heard someone moving around the kitchen, and I knew that it was my queue to leave.

"I'll see you later." I told her, kissing her once more.

"Bye, Finnick."

Just as I was about to climb out the window, I looked back to her as her eyes clouded over again. This was going to be a hard day.

"I love you, Annie Cresta." I said to her.

Slowly her eyes met with mine. "I love you too, Finnick Odair."

I met Annie again at her apartment in the afternoon, and together we rode the subway three stops to the cemetery. There was something so peaceful about at cemetery, and it was so silent I thought I was even breathing too loudly. Annie knew exactly where to go, and she silently lead the way through the maze of gravestones until coming to a stop in front of a simple but beautiful marble headstone. It was strange feeling, standing at the grave site of Annie's parents, and my heart was breaking for all that Annie had lost.

"This is it." she said, taking a deep breath.

I gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand tight as we stood close together for a moment. We were alone, just the two of us, and I wanted Annie to know that while she would always miss her parents, I would be there for her, her family in the future.

Slowly, Annie knelt down on the grass and placed her small bouquet of flowers against the marble. She didn't say anything for a long time as she stared, and I knew that she was in a far off place in her mind. I didn't interrupt her, but kept a tight hold her hand as if to remind her that she was still there, still alive.

"I wish they could have met you." she murmured softly, as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I wish I could have met them too." I replied honestly.

Eventually, Annie decided it was time to go, and we took another silent trip back to her apartment.

"Thank you for coming, Finnick." she said as we stood on her doorstep.

"I'm here for you, always." I promised.

I knew I couldn't take away Annie's pain, but maybe, just maybe, I could make it a little more bearable.

* * *

It was my birthday, a day I usually dreaded. Every year, my parents would insist on taking me out for an expensive breakfast before throwing an over the top party surrounded with school 'friends' that I didn't like, all for the sake of our reputation. Birthday parties were somewhat of a competition on the Upper East Side, and I was sick of all of those games. So this year, I decided to have small dinner with my new group of friends at a place Annie and I had found in Brooklyn.

So far it hadn't been a great day- my parents lectured me once again about Annie before giving me a cheque that felt more like a bribe than a birthday gift. At least I had Mags' amazing birthday cake to look forward to when I got home, but if I had it my way I'd rather have just had breakfast with her. I even had an algebra test at school, which wasn't fun at all.

I was practically counting down the seconds until the last class of the day was finished, so I could go home and get ready to see Annie again. Finally, school was over and I walked out of the front doors with Katniss and Peeta. As we left the school grounds, I suddenly recognised Annie's voice.

"Finnick!" she called excitedly.

I spun around to see Annie at the gates, a beautiful smile on her face. I almost couldn't believe that she was actually here, and I couldn't cross to her quick enough.

"Hey there." I said, pulling her close. "What are you doing here?"

"To surprise you!" Annie grinned. "It is your birthday, after all."

"Well my day has just gotten a _whole_ lot better." I kissed her deeply, not caring that the whole school was probably looking at us.

"Ughhhh." I suddenly heard someone say. I turned to see Johanna rolling her eyes. "If you two spend the whole night like that I think I'm going to be sick."

"Hey, you have to be nice to me today Johanna, it's the rule of birthdays." I replied.

"It's going to be the longest night of my life." Johanna laughed, walking off.

I turned back to Katniss and Peeta, who were standing by, amused. I couldn't stop playing with Annie's hands, and I was almost bouncing with excitement that my girlfriend had come to see me after school. I felt like I wanted to introduce her to the entire school so everyone would see how amazing she was, but at the same time I wanted to be alone with her as quickly as possible.

"I guess I'll see you tonight." I said happily to Katniss and Peeta. "Don't get lost!"

Annie and I walked hand in hand towards my apartment. I was itching with anticipation to be alone with Annie, and it was killing me to only hold her hand as we walked home. Finally we left the elevator and Annie raced me to my bedroom. As soon as my door was closed, Annie turned to me, a cheeky look on her face.

"Come here, you." she said slowly, pulling me into her arms.

"Is this my birthday present?" I asked, stringing kisses down her neck. "Because I'll gladly unwrap you now."

Annie laughed. "That was _so_ bad, Finnick."

"I know." I kissed her forehead, "But come on, I just had to."

"Hmmm." Annie murmured. "I'll let it go for now."

We fell back onto the bed and within seconds Annie was loosening my tie and unbuttoning my shirt. There was an intensity in her eyes as she tried to undo the buttons as quickly as possible, but every few second she was distracted by kissing me. I couldn't keep my hands off her and we moved together with more desperation than last time. My hands were tangled in my hair, my shirt now on the ground, when Annie suddenly started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked, my eyes locking with hers.

She bit down on her lip. "I just really, really like this." she giggled.

I could help but laugh too. Only Annie could make this so much fun. "Me too." I told her.

It was so different, being with Annie. As she kissed me again, her long hair falling across her shoulders, I thought back to the day I first saw her at the pool and couldn't believe I had ever considered letting her go.

* * *

So my average day had just turned into the _best birthday ever, _and as Annie and I lay together, wrapped in each other's arms, I never wanted this moment to end. However, I was well aware that we had a dinner to get to in a few hours.

"We better get ready." Annie said sighing, as if she could read my mind.

"Nope sorry, the dinner's cancelled. I'm staying here with you instead." I told her.

Annie laughed. "I don't think so, mister."

"Oh come on, Annie!" I laughed too.

I pulled her closer, tickling her, and she squirmed in my arms, giggling.

"Finnick!" she exclaimed as she wrestled with me.

We ended up tangled together in the sheets, her hair splayed out against the pillow as she laughed again. I dipped my head closer and kissed her, and she sighed, relaxing in the arms.

"Maybe just five more minutes." she said dreamily, and gentle smile on her face.

As I watched her face, I was overcome by just how much I was enjoying this. I had never had this before- staying in bed with a girl longer than needed, and I was content just to lie with her as we spoke.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked, intrigued.

"I just really, really like this." I told her, mirroring her words from earlier.

She laughed. "Me too."

She reached up to play with my hair, still smiling. "Your hair might need some work though, better get up because I know how long it takes you."

"Oh very funny." I rolled my eyes, but I knew she was right about us getting ready.

Groaning, I got out of bed and she followed. We got ready together, and of course, her hair took much longer to untangle than mine did to do. It reminded me of the night of the ball, as I sat on my bed and watched her brush through her hair in front of the mirror. She looked lost in thought as she moved the brush through her hair, and I couldn't believe how completely unaware of how gorgeous she was.

I couldn't stand not being close to her, so I stood and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her close. I watched her smile in the mirror as I pressed a kiss to her neck.

"Finnick, we're getting ready, remember?" she said, turning to face me.

"Hey, you're the one still doing your hair." I reminded her.

This time Annie was the one to reach up and kiss me, suddenly forgetting the dinner all together. "Hmmm." she murmured, breaking away. "You _are _way too distracting."

"You're making it really hard to leave, Miss Cresta." I whispered to her, and I could feel her shiver happily.

"Well I'll just have to come home with you after dinner." It was my turn to shiver in anticipation. If only Annie knew what she did to me.

Eventually we managed to drag ourselves away from my bedroom and out into the fresh night air. On the way, we continued our game of naming sea creatures, but I soon realised that Annie's knowledge was much more extensive than mine. Finally we reached the small restaurant in the heart of Brooklyn. It was nothing special, a dimly lit place with peeling wallpaper, an old jukebox and a pool table, but it had so much character that I immediately felt comfortable when Annie and I walked in.

We took a seat at a booth in the corner, and waited for the others to arrive. Eventually they turned up- Katniss and Peeta hand in hand, Delly, an unhappy Johanna, Madge, and to my surprise Gale.

I had hinted to Madge that she should bring along Gale, but I wasn't sure if she would actually ask him. The two of them kept making eye contact before looking away shyly, and it was cute to see the two of them finally together. I never thought that I would ever have any interest in the love lives of my friends, but there was something about being in love that made me want the rest of the world to experience it too.

So as far as birthday celebrations went, this was by far the best. We ordered meals and laughed over drinks, and were probably way too loud loud for the rest of the people eating. Sure Johanna made sly jokes about what Annie and I got up to after school, but I had to hand it to her, she _actually_ chose a good song on the juke box. After we had finished eating, Peeta challenged us to a game of pool.

To be honest, I think it was just an excuse for Peeta to use the cliched move of teaching Katniss how to hold cue properly, and soon Gale caught on and did the same for Madge.

I looked across at Annie, but she shook her head with a cheeky grin. "I know how to play pool just fine, thank you very much." It was just as well, I thought, because I wouldn't sure if I could handle it if we got too close.

She was actually really good, and we ended up winning easily. Johanna was _not _impressed, but before we could play another game Annie was reaching for my hands, laughing happily. She looked totally carefree, and it was a relief to see her happy again after the week she had had.

"Finnick, let's dance!" she laughed, pulling me away from the pool table.

There was no way I was going to argue with her, so I spun her around as she giggled. Annie was an amazing dancer, and it was different to see her let loose on the floor as opposed to the restrained dancing at the Christmas Ball. She was radiating life and I couldn't help but smile as she laughed. I was so lost in how much I loved this girl, and time almost seemed to stand still as we danced.

Eventually though, the waiters were looking restless and I could tell we had outstayed our welcome. As the eight of us eventually stumbled out of the bar and into a cab, driving through the streets of New York City as if we were flying, I thought of the future and wanted it to be just like this.


	22. XOXO

**A/N: **Hi everyone! So this is the last chapter of The Gossip Games. I just wanted to see a massive thank you to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed this fic, it means so much. You've made my first experience of fanfiction writing really enjoyable, so thank you so much! Hope you enjoy this last chapter :)

* * *

_Katniss' POV_

The day I had been counting down to for months had finally arrived, but unexpectedly it had a bittersweet feeling to it. Dragging myself out of bed, I crossed my small bedroom to wake up Prim.

"Prim, wake up." I said to her. "It's the last day of school."

Those words got through to her and her eyes slowly opened. "Finally." She smiled sleepily.

"So come on, little duck." I said, pulling back her covers so she couldn't fall back asleep.

Rubbing her eyes, Prim met me out in the kitchen and I handed her a bowl of cereal as she sat down at the dinning table. Immediately her eyes flicked towards the envelope that was addressed to her, which had been sitting on the table since it arrived yesterday morning.

"Are you going to open it now?" I asked her, motioning towards the envelope.

"No…" Prim didn't meet my eye.

"Why not?" I exclaimed.

"I'm scared."

"Come on, Prim." I begged.

From where I was standing, I could make out the The Capitol School crest printed on to the front of the envelope. Suddenly, I was transported back to the day my letter arrived from the Upper East Side, and how nervous I was to open it. After talking a lot about it, Prim had also decided to apply for a scholarship to The Capitol School, and it looked as though the letter contained their answer.

Prim was a bright girl and I had no doubts that she would be accepted, but she wasn't so sure. Thinking back to the day I found out I had been accepted, it was Prim who opened the letter for me when I couldn't myself. While Prim and I were completely different in so many ways, one thing we had in common was just how stubborn we both were.

"Fine." I said. "I'll open it."

Her cereal forgotten, Prim watched anxiously as I ripped open the envelop and took out the crisp white letter.

"Primrose Everdeen." I began, putting on a formal accent. I looked up at her, and her eyes were wide with anticipation.

"Well, what does it say?" she asked.

"Oh, so you want to know now?" I laughed.

"Katniss!" Prim complained.

I looked back down at the letter, and was instantly filled with relief. "We are delighted to offer you a place at The Capitol School commencing in the eight grade."

"Really?" Prim asked, unsure.

"Yes, silly." I handed her the letter, and her eyes quickly scanned the page.

"Oh my gosh!" Prim started to squeal. She jumped up and ran to me, throwing her arms around me so fast I nearly lost my balance.

"Congratulations, little duck." I said, hugging her tight. "I told you that you'd get in."

"Okay, okay." Prim laughed, "You were right. Can you believe it, we're actually going to school together!"

I had my reservations about Prim going to The Capitol School. Sure things had worked out well for me in the end, but that was completely unexpected. I had started my year not wanting anything to do with the Upper East Side lifestyle, including making friends with any of my class mates. I was perfectly happy to speak to no one and stay clear of any drama. Obviously, it didn't work out that way, and even though I met some amazing people, I also met some not so nice ones.

I knew I could handle the situation with Cashmere, but I wasn't sure if Prim would have been able to. Prim was so lovely, so innocent, caring and trusting. She couldn't hurt a fly, and I was scared that the vicious atmosphere of the Upper East Side would be too much for her. But regardless of how much I still didn't like most of the people on the Upper East Side, I knew that going to The Capitol School would be an amazing oppurtunity for Prim. She had wanted to be a doctor since she was little, and The Capitol School would be her best chance of getting into a good college. Mostly though, it was what our father wanted for her.

"This is what you want, right?" I asked her seriously.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. Her smile faltered for a moment though, as she admitted, "I'm a little scared though."

"Don't worry, my friends and I will look out for you." I promised.

"Thanks, Katniss." she said honestly, hugging me again.

"So I guess this is your last day at your old school." I realised.

Prim eyes suddenly widened. "I have to tell Rory!"

Even though Prim and Rory were 'just friends', she sure was anxious to get out of the apartment to tell him her news. Quickly, Prim rushed through breakfast and threw on some clothes.

"See you later, Katniss!" she called as she ran out the door. I smiled to myself as I knew that Prim would never let the Upper East Side change her.

So I got ready for school for the last time before summer. Just as if it was my first day of school again, I left my apartment to find Gale sitting on the curb.

"Hey, Catnip." He said, as I sat down beside him.

"Hey, Gale." I replied.

"Ready for your last day?"

"Oh yeah." I laughed. "But I'm not as excited as I thought I would be."

I wasn't sure if Gale would understand what I meant- that even though I still hated The Capitol School, I didn't hate everyone who went there. While I knew I would still see everyone during the summer, I had really started to enjoy our lunches together.

"Well, you'll be back there sooner than you know." Gale teased. "And I know that Peeta will be around here _literally_ everyday."

"Oh and like Madge won't be." I teased back.

"She wants me to meet her parents, you know?" Gale said, sounding both terrified and pleased.

"Well I hope you have better luck winning over her parents than I did with Peeta's." I laughed.

"Was it really that bad?" He asked, sounding more afraid.

"Hmmm, I think you'll be fine." I said honestly. "Just maybe don't mention how you nearly went to jail."

"Oh, _great_ advice." Gale said sarcastically.

"And have a proper shower." I added, ruffling his hair as a cloud of dirt drifted out of it.

Gale rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, more than I had ever been before.

"You seem happy." I observed.

"Things are good, Katniss." He replied.

Gale was right, things _were _good. This had been a crazy year for my friendship with Gale, but now it was finally all back to normal.

* * *

It was strange, just how used to The Capitol School I had become. That scared me a little, but I knew that after everything that had happened this year, I had not let the Upper East Side change me. Not only that, I'd done well all year and my grades were better than I'd ever expected. All I had to do now was figure out which college I actually wanted to go to.

As I headed towards the courtyard at the beginning of lunch, I saw a familiar face in the hall.

"Miss Everdeen." Cinna's friendly voice greeted me.

"Hi, Cinna." I replied. I hadn't seen much of Cinna since our two sessions at the beginning of the year, and it was nice to see him again before the end of school.

"So, what's the final verdict on The Capitol School?" He asked.

"I still don't like this lifestyle. " I told him honestly. "But...maybe you were right. Not everyone is as bad as I first thought."

"That's what I like to hear." Cinna grinned. "Good luck for senior year Katniss, remember- I'm still betting on you."

After my conversation with Cinna, I joined my friends at the table with a smile on my face. I slid in next to Peeta, and he gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek before looking away shyly. My first impression of Peeta had been that he was confident and full of himself, but now I knew that that completely wrong. Peeta was sweet and kind and _so_ good to me, even after everything.

"Ah Katniss, excellent timing." Finnick said. "We were just discussing our summer plans."

"My only plan is to work as much as I can." I told him honestly. "And to stay as _far_ away from drama as possible."

"Ughh Katniss how about something _fun_?" Finnick complained.

I shrugged. "Sorry. What's everyone else doing?"

"I'm working too." Peeta said honestly.

"That's not very Upper East Side of you- but you better keep those brownies coming!" Finnick laughed. "Is anyone doing _anything_ interesting?"

"My parents are making me spend most of the summer at our house in France." Johanna rolled her eyes. "Kill me now."

"I'm going on a cruise?" Delly added, sounding unsure.

"That's more like it, even though you both _are _going to be out of the city." Finnick said. "What about you, Magde?"

Magde blushed. "Hopefully I can spend some time with Gale." she said softly.

Finnick groaned. "Don't talk to me about love." He said dismally.

"Why, what do you and Annie have planned for the summer?" I teased.

"There _is_ no Annie and I for the summer. Well, most of it anyway." Finnick said sadly. "She's going to work at a summer camp, she does it every year apparently. She won't even have cell phone reception!" He rested his head on the table, looking miserable. "What am I going to do?" He wailed.

Oh, so it suddenly made sense why Finnick was looking for people to hang out with during the summer. Honestly though, I knew that Finnick was going to be totally annoying without Annie, and I could just picture him now- moaning about how he missed her all day. I supposed we could try and distract him as much as possible, but Peeta had better make some brownies fast.

"Well, is your house still free for the last week of summer?" Peeta asked, trying to cheer him up.

Peeta had told me that every year Finnick's parents went on a week long cruise at the end of the summer, meaning he had their house in the Hamptons all to himself. That of course meant that Peeta crashed there for the week and the two of them got up to God knows what. He tried telling me some adventures from their weeks away, but honestly I thought I'd rather not know, especially if Finnick was the one who planned them.

"Oh, about that…" Finnick trailed off. "That's the week Annie gets back so...I kind of invited her this year."

"Are you _seriously_ ditching me?" Peeta asked incredulously. He definitely looked forward to escaping his own parents for that last week, and I didn't blame him.

"The last week is the only time I'll get to see her!" Finnick wailed.

"Oh boo hoo." Johanna jumped in. "Finnick, that's the week I'm back too, and until then I'm facing the _whole_ summer overseas with my parents. I need at least _one_ party before school starts again."

"Oh, so you're inviting yourself along then?" Finnick joked.

"Yeah- we're all coming." Johanna replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

That was the first I'd heard of it, but a week at Finnick's house by the beach _did_ sound pretty good.

Finnick thought for a moment, looking at each of us hesitantly. "Fine." He gave in. "But you have to come the day after Annie does, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear Finnick." Johanna said. "There is no way I want to be any where near a Finnick and Annie reunion."

Finnick laughed. "Great, it's settled then."

We spent the rest of lunch planning our week away, and I was feeling more and more excited by the second. I hadn't been on vacation in years, and my summer had just started to sound a whole lot better.

* * *

The last bell finally rang, and the halls erupted in happy chatter and people rushing to get out of school as quickly as possible. However, I took my time packing my bag.

"Katniss." I heard a voice from behind me, and instantly I tensed up. Slowly, I turned around to see Cashmere standing behind me. She still had the same smug look on her face, however, she just didn't have the same terrifying presence that she used to, especially now that she had no one standing behind her to back her up.

"Cashmere, I haven't seen you around much recently." I replied, trying to remain civil. The last thing I wanted was an end to our truce at the beginning of the summer.

"Well that's all going to change very soon, Katniss." Cashmere's eyes narrowed. "I meant what I said, I still don't like you, and even though I'm willing to keep your little secret in exchange for you keeping mine, I plan on regaining my position in the school."

"And you have to tell me this _why_?" I asked, bored of her attitude. I just wanted to meet up with Peeta and let the summer begin.

"Because Katniss, I've been at this school since kindergarten and since then I have been dreaming about my senior year. I'm going to get my friends back and I'm _going_ to be the prom queen." she said forcefully. "If you even _think _about ruining that for me, you'll get much worse than what you happened to avoid this year."

I sighed. I thought that maybe Cashmere's experience this year had brought her back to Earth a little and made her realise that reputations and money and all of that didn't really matter. Who was I kidding though, Cashmere was born and raised on the Upper East Side, and there was no way she could ever give up on that lifestyle.

"Look Cashmere, I don't care about prom queen or any of that. It's all yours." I told her honestly.

"Good." she smiled. "Well, have a good summer. Don't get up to any trouble." While she kept up her vicious attitude, the look in her eyes told me that she was actually being sincere.

"You too, Cashmere." I told her honestly.

I had no idea what I really thought about Cashmere anymore, but I decided to not let her latest threat ruin my summer. In fact, our conversation had all but left my mind as soon as I met up with Peeta. Together, we left the school grounds and walked towards Mellark Bakery hand in hand.

"So, you made it through your first year at The Capitol School." Peeta joked.

"You're about as surprised as I am." I laughed.

"Was it as bad as you thought, though?" he asked more seriously.

"There were definitely some highlights." I said, leaning in to kiss him.

At the start of my junior year, I had no idea whether I would survive on the Upper East Side. So many times I felt like getting as far away from The Capitol School as possible, but one thing kept drawing me back- Peeta Mellark.

I never thought that I would ever fall for a guy like him, but I supposed what I really learnt is to never to judge someone too fast. Peeta was so much more than his privileged lifestyle, and so were all the friends I had made throughout the year.

Peeta took me into the kitchens of the bakery and handed me a freshly baked cupcake. We jumped onto the bench together and ate in silence for a moment.

"You aren't planning on working the _whole _summer, are you?" Peeta asked eventually.

"Hmmm, I might be able to find some time for a certain good looking baker." I laughed. "If he isn't too busy icing cakes, that is."

"Oh, I'm sure those cakes will be able to wait." Peeta dipped his head closer to mine and kissed me.

"You know what?" I said softly. "I think this is going to be the best summer yet."

Our cupcakes long forgotten, everything else disappeared from my mind and Peeta pulled me closer. Ignoring the wolf whistles from the other bakers in the kitchen, Peeta kissed me deeply as if to tell me he felt the same way.

So I had made it through a year at The Capitol School. While the conversation I had had with Cashmere meant that my senior year was going to be anything but easy, for now I just wanted to enjoy the summer with Peeta.


	23. Sequel Update!

Hey everyone! I know this story is finished but I just wanted to let you know that **I'll be posting a sequel soon!** I wasn't sure if I was going to write any more since I just started uni and am going to be pretty busy with that, but all of your lovely reviews really encouraged me to continue. Also, I actually really missed writing The Gossip Games haha So the sequel will be called **The Gossip Games: Scandals Alight**, and the first chapter should be up in the next week or so. Until then, I thought I would write a little summary to let you know what it is going to be about! So here it is:

The Gossip Games: Scandals Alight

Katniss is starting her final year at The Capitol School, while Prim is starting her first. While Katniss managed to remain immune to the privileged lifestyle of the Upper East Side, how will Prim cope when she catches the attention of Coriolanus Snow's grand daughter, Lumi, and her group of friends? Soon the desire to fit into the rich and luxurious lives of her friends is too much for Prim. Meanwhile, senior year is supposed to be the best year of high school, but will Katniss and Peeta's relationship survive the pressures of college selection when meddling parents get involved? Not only that, but with Cashmere threatening to reveal her secret to the whole school, Katniss wonders if she will make it out of The Capitol School unscathed. And while Finnick is sure that he and Annie are forever, how will Annie cope when their relationship takes a tragic twist? One thing is for sure, senior year is going to be unforgettable for this group of friends!


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